The Rappleberry Caper
by Dan Rush
Summary: Daichi Tokugawa is a young man on the edge caught between strict obediance to his rich father and yerning to be an out of control rebel, can a wild idea of Astro's keep him from going the wrong way in life?
1. Chapter 1

**The Rappleberry Caper**

An Astro Boy Fan Fiction

By Dan Rush

Astro Boy © 2003 Sony Pictures/Tezuka Productions. © 2009 Imagi Studios

Original story by Osamu Tezuka. All rights deeply respected. This story is a non-profit fandom enjoyment only.

Background: The living Daichi Tokugawa is a young man on the cusp. Dutiful son of a great industrial magnate. Loving twinkle to a recently deceased mother. Growing rebellious biker. But could a chance meeting with Astro take him in a different direction?

**1am**

**West Metro City**

The excitement was too much! Daichi sat holding his chest and gasping for breath as he and the other three bikers floated in the darkness of an alleyway while the police cars screamed by the gap between buildings.

They had to be pissed. Especially after the six pack of eggs he threw creamed one of the cops in the face!

"Nice shot man." Honbra snickered as he patted Daichi's back. "How do you like the initiation so far?"

"Awesome!" Daichi replied with a thumbs up. "So…what's next?"

"Nothing more tonight." Honbra replied as he gave Daichi an arm punch. "Next Saturday's gonna be the climax! You get through that and you'll earn your patch and jacket. Just don't get caught going home."

Daichi watched as one by one the other gang members drifted towards the alley opening and screamed off into the night. He looked at his watch and pursed his lips, the night wasn't over just yet. Another hour of cruising around and he'd go back home.

"I should check out the Kamakura District." He thought as he coasted around the streets. Kamakura was only a jump away from Metro City and the bike races should still be in full summer swing till around 5am. Daichi nodded to himself, turned his bike around and started back down the street towards the entrance ramp of the route 16 transport tube when he passed by someone walking on the sidewalk.

He slowed the bike a little bit and did a double take on the small figure before he turned the bike around and cruised up next to him. "Yo….hey?.....are you a little deaf or what?"

Astro stopped and looked at the hovering bike curiously. "I can hear you just fine."

Daichi smiled a little bit. "I know you. What's got you out here so late? The police?"

"Uh uh…" Astro replied shaking his head. "I just wanted to go out. See what the city was like when everyone's asleep."

"That's not a smart thing to do." Daichi replied as he swung himself around and sat side saddle on his bike. "See…this late at night? Robots get rolled pretty easy out here, it happens a lot. Does anyone know you're out here?"

Astro smirked. "I think I can more than handle any trouble. I left a note for my sister and our guardian. Besides, you're what? 16? Do your parents know you're out hanging around with trouble making bikers?"

Daichi's eyebrows jumped with surprise. "Perceptive! Aren't we? But I bet you'll be in hot water for coming out here on just a note on the bed."

Astro chuckled. "I should take you to the police but since you're Daichi Tokugawa I wouldn't want to be responsible for letting you get injured. I don't know who'd be worse, the police or your dad."

Daichi pulled out his cell phone. "By some dumb luck? My dad put in the Ministry of Science's telephone number. Now what would happen if I got off a call to tell them you're out here in the middle of the night in a bad part of the city?"

Astro shrugged and bounced on his tip toes. "We kinda got each other in a vice huh?"

Daichi rubbed his chin. "How about this? You come back to my house and I'll cover for you and vice versa? At the least, you can hang with me and I can keep you from getting into trouble."

Astro gave Daichi a smirk. "How about….we go find the policeman you egged, pay for him to have a big fat breakfast, then go to your house and I'll just forget about dropping a dime on you? Otherwise I'll give you a head start before I catch you and drag you to the police box by a wedgie?"

"Tough choice." Daichi said before he snatched Astro by an arm and lifted him onto the back of his bike seat. "Man you're light! So breakfast huh? I don't suppose 7/11 will cut it?"

Astro shook his head. "That gets you the free phone call. Better make it Volks steak house."

"Hmph…An experience scam operator you are. You and my Dad would get along just fine." Daichi said as he started his bike.

"I'd like your Dad as much as I'd like a 2 million megawatt cable up my butt." Astro said with a snicker.

"Language!" Daichi said as he kicked his bike into gear.

"I'm in High School!" Astro replied. "Wow…hanging around with a freshman could be a death sentence don't you think?"

"Don't push it!" Daichi snorted back. "Really…what were you doing out this late?"

"Studying!" Astro replied as he pressed himself into Daichi's back. "The more I know about how humans act at certain times of the day and night, the better I can respond to what they need!"

Daichi nodded his head. "Maybe a good thing…but it won't help anyone if you ended up a thousand busted parts in the middle of the road. Next time give me a call so you can have someone to cover your back!"

"Like I said! I don't think I need a babysitter!" Astro replied huffing.

"Not another word. As an upper classman it's my responsibility to look after you." Daichi said as he gunned his engine and sped down route 16 in a blur of contrailing color. He could feel Astro trying to dig his face into his back. "Afraid of a little speed?"

"When I do it no…but the idea of becoming instant street pizza's got me annoyed, slow down!" Astro said with a yelp.

"Relax…we're here." Daichi said as his bike cruised to a stop in front of his house.

Astro pulled his head back from Daichi's jacket and smirked. "Got enough people per room?" He said sarcastically.

"This is only one house." Daichi replied as he climbed off and met the robot butler coming down the steps. "Morning Lewis."

(Note: Lewis is an NS-5 designed bot from the I-Robot movie)

"Good morning Master Daichi. Your father called from Shimbushi wondering about your activities. He sounded most vexed."

Daichi smirked. "Obviously. And I'm sure he called you like fifty times asking why my cell phone wasn't working?"

"Of course. He threatened to send Artimus and Cimeron to collect you. You don't know what I had to do to convince him otherwise."

Daichi dropped his keys into Lewis's hand. "I'm sure it wasn't too painful? You're still here. By the way, I'm sure you know my guest? Make sure the guest room is ready, he's sleeping overnight."

Lewis looked at Astro and rubbed his head. "Sir? Your father might not be too entertaining of the idea."

Daichi rubbed his hand over Astro's head. "I don't care what my father thinks. Make sure Astro is treated properly?"

The guest room was kinda nice, heck the tub was practically an Olympic swimming pool in its own right! Astro sat folding his clothes into a neat pile next to the futon after putting on the thick PJ's when Daichi poked his head in through the sliding paper door.

"Everything ok?" He asked.

"Yeah!" Astro replied. "The tub in the bathroom is humungous! You should put a diving board in there."

Daichi knelt down and sat on the tutami matted floor. "I called Doctor Tenma, just to let him know you're ok."

Astro sighed. "Not happy huh?"

"Nope. Even worse when I told him who I was. On a scale of least liked? I'm worse than Herman Goering. "I swear if anything bad happens to Astro Tokugawa!" You could hear his fists shaking."

"Maybe the note wasn't such a hot idea." Astro said frowning.

"Don't let it bite you." Daichi replied smirking. "You can't be so perfect all the time! Actually it's healthy to drive our parents nuts sometimes. If we were perfect angels 24 hours a day our parents would get board, over-indulge in food and become fat and lazy. Screaming after us is a good form of exercise."

Astro chuckled a little. "You're sure your Dad won't mind me staying over? I know my reputation doesn't sit well with him."

Daichi snorted back. "You're my guest, this is my house too. If my Dad starts barking at you, just call me."

Daichi watched as Astro slipped under the thick red comforter blanket and rolled over to fall asleep…or what robots considered their state of sleep. He got up and softly closed the sliding panel as Lewis came walking up behind him.

"Might I remind the young Master about his father's security policy?"

Daichi turned and softly tapped Lewis's chest. "I find out so much as one picture or even a mili-second of x-ray was taken of Astro while he was sleeping Lewis? Guess who's going to be standing out in the street thumbing for a ride to the nearest employment agency?"

Lewis gestured as Daichi walked past him. "I was only referring to the Master's…"

"I will handle what my father wishes with my own patience Lewis. While Astro's a guest in my house however? I make the shots….got it? Leave Astro alone."

"Yes…Master Daichi." Lewis replied as he bowed and took his leave.

**Morning**

Astro stirred when a pair of fingers lightly tweeked his nose. Daichi was leaning over him with a cup of coffee in his hand. "Good morning. Did you sleep well?" He asked as Astro sat up and yawned.

"Mmm!" Astro replied with a nod.

"So what would you like for breakfast? A bowl of oil? Hot grease? A cup of WD-40?" Daichi asked.

Astro laid back and played with his lips for a moment. "Pancakes?" He said smiling.

"Alright. Come to the dining room when you're ready." Daichi replied nodding before he walked to the kitchen and started to take ingredients from the cupboards.

As he started to mix up a bowl of batter, Daichi felt the imposing presence of his father as he walked up behind him. "Good morning Father." Daichi said respectfully. "I made some fresh coffee."

Though short in stature, Tadyo Tokugawa was not a man to be disrespected by anyone. His serious gaze made his son fidget. He poured himself a cup of coffee and stood silent and still for the moment as his son started pouring the pancakes.

"You didn't answer your phone last night." Tadyo said emotionlessly.

"I was on my motorcycle most of the time." Daichi replied. "If you're worried about my studies? I completed every task you asked of me."

Tadyo walked over to the small kitchen table and leaned against it. "Want to explain to me why that robot is in my house?"

"Astro? I found him walking alone at night and invited him to stay over." Daichi replied.

"You know how I feel about that robot Daichi. And why did you violate my rules?"

Daichi scooped the last pancake into a hot pan. "Because this is my house too and he's no more a danger to you than the cat."

"I want him out of here by noon. Do you understand me?" Tadyo pushed. "I'm sorry if I'm coming off a little gruff but I've had a long trip and a very short temper to match. We'll talk more about this in the afternoon."

Daichi watched his father walk away as he set the table. "It's not my fault you stayed up all night working." He said quietly to himself as he walked to the guest room. He met Astro as he came out.

"I'm sorry if I'm causing you any grief. Maybe I should go." Astro said quietly.

Daichi snorted. "No. I promised you pancakes and you can have all you want! Don't let my father intimidate you."

Astro searched his thoughts and feelings again. Tadyo Tokugawa was defiantly not trustworthy. But he couldn't detect anything wrong with Daichi at all. If he had an alterior motive at work to have Astro over his house? It wasn't showing up.

As they walked down the hallway towards the kitchen, Astro stopped to look at a picture on the wall. It had been taken years ago when Daichi was 4 or 5 years old, a birthday obviously. Daichi sat between his father and a women.

"Your mom?" Astro asked as he pointed.

"Yeah…" Daichi replied lowly. "She passed away three months ago."

"Oh…sorry." Astro said as they walked on into the kitchen.

Daichi placed a platter of pancakes on the table. "It's ok. She was sick for a few years. Cancer." He said as he served Astro a plate. "With all this technology, they still can't stop the common cold, let alone cancer."

Astro ate a fork full of pancakes, took a moment to chew, then ate another fork full and smiled widely…"What's on these?"

"Just jam." Daichi replied as he watched Astro "enjoy" his pancakes. "Ok….stop with the silly exaggerations, I know you're trying to make me feel good."

"No!" Astro said as he spooned a helping of jam on the remaining lumps of pancake and enjoyed more of it. "This jam's fantastic!"

"Oh come on." Daichi huffed. "There's no way you can tell just how good anything is. Robots can't make choices like that, my father knows enough about robot technology and he says the variables to give robots any kind of human feeling is way too complex."

Astro rested his head on a hand and smiled. "Then I guess my Dad's just a grade school punk huh?"

Astro sipped a glass of oil and swirled the glass in his hand. "Yeah, it's difficult to come up with the variables and all the programming but between my Dad, Doctor Elifun and my friend Reno they had a program that works pretty well ready for me in six months. I don't think you want me to stay all day and explain every nuance but I can tell when something's too sweet, too tart or burns a stomach like gasoline."

Astro took a spoonful of the jam and ate it. "So…what's this jam?"

Daichi smiled. "My mom loved to make it for us. She called it Rappleberry."

"Mmmm….ever thought of doing something with it?" Astro asked.

"As in what?" Daichi replied.

"Well?....If I could prove to you that I'm right about how good it is, maybe you could market it? I bet it would sell."

Daichi pursed his lips. "I'm not sure my Dad would like that idea but you do have me curious about your abilities. I'll give you a bottle of it."

"Deal." Astro replied with a nod. "I'll see you in school tomorrow morning then?"

Daichi passed the bottle across the table. "Don't tell anyone where you got this and please be careful who you show it too? It's like my mom's family recipe."

**The Treehouse**

**Palisade Park in Metro City**

Astro passed a spoon of jam to Tamao, Reno, Ken and Abercrombie and sat with his head on his knees waiting to see what would happen.

"Wow!" Reno said as he licked his lips.

"Imagine this on English Muffins?" Tamao chirped.

"If this were in a pastry, I'd eat myself into a beach ball!" Abercrombie said happily.

"You are a beach ball." Tamao snickered in Abercrombie's ear.

"Silence shrimp!" Abercrombie replied with a bop to Tamao's head.

Ken was silent for a little bit, then he wiggled the spoon at Astro. "Where did you find this? It's awesome! And you know what? If you did put this in pastry, it would really sell! My Mom doesn't make jelly this killer."

"Well…I can't tell you where I got it from." Astro said as he scratched his head. "It's a promise I made. See guys, the boy I got it from? He's kinda going down the wrong street and I wanna steer him back in the right direction."

"Pastry sounds like a good place to start." Reno said smiling as he gulped another spoon. "So how old's this kid?"

"16. I think there's a problem though, his Dad's….ummm….a bastard?" Astro chirped out much to the shock of the others.

"Wow! Where did you learn that one?" Tamao said smirking. "Astro, you really need to stay away from the rough parts of town. You use words like that at the wrong time and Doctor O'Shay's gonna zap you!"

"No he won't!" Astro said shooshing his hand. "It's not like Crombie throwing those "F-Bombs" every where he goes. The worst I ever say is "Damn it" anyway."

"His Dad's a real jerk huh?" Crombie snorted. "Hmph! Nothing we couldn't handle huh Astro? You and me will just go over to his house and rough the old man up a little."

"I'd rather do it with less of a mess? Besides…he makes these killer pancakes so I'd rather not get myself uninvited." Astro said as he suddenly stood up.

"Where you going?" Ken asked.

"My job clock just got started. Looks like the police have a suspect held up in a grocery store. No Sunday off for me!" Astro ran out of the clubhouse door and flew into the sky.

**Tokugawa Industrial Headquarters**

**Metro City**

**Noon**

"Another document?" Daichi snorted as he rubbed his forehead. "Ugh…no Sunday rides for me today."

He sat at the oval shaped computer screen making notations on a paper pad while tapping his fingers on the glass with some frustration. It was all in good interest he kept reminding himself. Someday everything around him would be his, it was what drove his father and pleased his mother and if there was one person he intended not to disappoint? It was Mom.

His father on the other hand? Daichi's only effort to show some degree of his own personal torment and displeasure from the claustrophobic measure of his current life was his facial demeanors. So far his father seemed oblivious and Daichi wasn't about to come right out and give his dad the big fat middle finger.

As he signed off on that document and sat back rubbing his face, Daichi felt his father standing aside his chair. "Excellent. Your management skills continue to please me."

"Glad you approve." Daichi said back almost coldly. What he really wanted to say was. "You're chocking me Father! Back the *&(^( off!"

Tadyo looked at the screen for a moment then to his Son. "So…what did you and that robot talk about?"

Daichi turned his head. "Astro" He accented clearly. "And I talked about school. He's a freshman and I was giving him friendly advice."

"Robots." Tadyo snorted. "You should clearly understand by now Daichi that their only purpose is in our service in the places we make for them. School? Robots like that are better suited to moving parts, working foundries, not pushing school books, playing varsity ball or chasing girls skirts."

"I've found Astro to be rather unique actually." Daichi said sternly. "If and when I might run this company father? I want a hundred Astro's representing the best we offer."

Tadyo's face turned mean. "You will do things the way I have shown you and clear your brain of such idiotic concepts. Using sweet talking robots like that may work for brothel owners and Geisha managers but not for a fortune 500 corporation. That's the path of weakness that will make you bankrupt and I didn't raise this company or you to be broke in a month."

Daichi looked at the wall clock. "2pm. I have finished my chores for the day have I not?"

"Yes…you may go. But you had better be home by 5pm for dinner." Tadyo commanded sternly. "I would like to spend a little time with you since I have so little time these days to do so."


	2. Chapter 2

**The Rappleberry Caper**

Chapter 2

**Asahi Grocery**

**Metro City**

**Noon**

Astro pinned the crook to the hood of the police cruiser and passed the 45 caliber pistol to Sergeant Deutadi. "Can I have your cuffs? I always wanted to do a "cuff n stuff."

"Heard a shot in there. Did you get hit?" Deutadi said as he gave Astro his handcuffs.

Astro dropped a bullet slug from his mouth. "Right in the kisser. He broke two of my teeth!" Astro cuffed the man and pushed him into the back seat. "You know how expensive polished ceramic teeth are these days?"

"I can imagine." Deutadi replied as he watched Astro slip onto the hood of his cruiser.

"Who's the "Trigger Happy Tigers"?" Astro asked as he kicked his boots back and forth.

"Those guys?" Deutadi said as he leaned against the car. "Oh yeah, our resident gang of "Bozos". I wouldn't occupy your time with em Astro, the Department can handle them. Why you asking?"

Astro slipped off the cruiser. "I've just seen them running around blocking traffic and behaving like brainless lemmings. Just thought you might need some extra help that's all. Maybe I'm a little board?"

"You do enough as it is." Deutadi said as he rubbed Astro's head. "Here's some ice cream money."

Astro caught the 500 yen coin and slipped it into his pocket. "Thanks! Oh…if I were you, I'd put this car into the garage? Sounds like the back hover motor's on its last gasp."

**East Metro City**

**Route 16 to Shinagawa**

**3pm**

To be free to do as one pleases, to be as wild as he wants, Daichi felt his hair flying in the wind and the power of the hover bike under him and howled like a wolf in the forest. They had just spray tagged the side of a building and he was gushing with happiness and pride at how wonderful it looked!

Ketsubo, one of the bikers in the gang, came along side throwing his fist in the air. "Man, that was awesome! I've never seen a tagger with such style like that, you're the Van Goeh of Metro City!"

Coming from anyone, the compliment made Daichi tear up. His father was never that nice, "An artist? What foolish, impoverishing persuits!" He once snarled when he threw a painting Daichi had done when he was nine into the fire place.

But suddenly, the whole bike pack came to an abrupt sliding stop. Daichi looked around expecting, rather hoping some dumb motorist had shown a death wish to tangle with the dreaded Happy Tigers. The leader of the gang, Yushio Honbra, stepped from his bike and whipped a steel pipe from a makeshift holster on the front forks.

"Hey kid!" He snapped loudly. "What's the big idea sitting in the middle of the road?"

Daichi bent over his handle bars to see Astro just casually standing with his arms behind his back and that calm, almost stomach annoying smile running across his face.

"I just want to talk to Daichi Tokugawa for a little bit." Astro said calmly.

"Hmph!" Yushio snorted back. "How about you talk to my pipe? You're blocking our way." Yushio inched closer. "I don't think Daichi's available to talk to you, go home and play with your Legos or something before you regret crossing our path."

Daichi rubbed his forehead. "Oh boy…this could get really ugly."

Astro just smiled back. "I really don't want to deal with this on a nice Saturday. I don't care what you want to do with your life but I am going to speak to Daichi no matter what you want."

Astro reached out, snatched the pipe in the man's hand and bent it over. "Please don't do something you'll regret?"

"Yushio?" Daichi said as he slipped off his bike. "Give me a few minutes with him?"

Yushio threw the pipe to the side and walked back to his bike grumbling about robots and trying to puff himself above the still annoying smile machine behind him.

Daichi calmly took Astro by the arm and walked him away from the gang. "You have the guts I'll give you that."

"Those are your friends?" Astro said as he pointed back. "You could do a little better than that you know."

"Now you're the appointed expert on my friends?" Daichi said sternly.

Astro sat on a guard rail. "No…but I can tell you're hanging around with people who aren't up to anything good. I guess you need a break from your Dad but this isn't something your Mom would want you doing is it?"

Daichi snorted. "There's a lot of words I can use right now to describe how angry you're getting me. You're really starting to butt into things that aren't your concern Astro."

Astro shrugged. "It's in my wiring. Protecting humans is something I can't change. By the way I did want to show you I was right about your Mom's jam. I showed some of my friends and they enjoyed it like I did! It's that good Daichi!"

Daichi lolled his head around. "You stopped us just to tell me you liked her jam, this will go over good."

Astro slipped off the guard rail, opened his back pack and took out the jar of jam Daichi gave him earlier. "Watch this."

"What are you doing?!" Daichi said with a panic as Astro walked up to Yushio.

Yushio turned and snorted. "Are you done kid?"

"Uh uh…" Astro said as he offered up a spoon of jam. "Taste this please?"

"What?" Yushio replied. "You got a nut lose or something?"

Daichi held Astro by the shoulders. "Don't listen to him Yushio, you know these robots when they're programmed like little kids, they get all fruit salad in the chips."

Astro smirked back at Daichi and pressed the spoon up to Yushio. "Just try it?"

Yushio took the spoon, swallowed the jam and suddenly smiled? He never smiled in the presence of his gang, smirked but never smiled. He looked at the jar in Astro's hand, took it, spooned out more jam and ordered his fellow bikers to take a taste…

"Dude?" Yushio said as he tried another spoon. "Dude…this stuff is…wow…this stuff is nuts! Awesome! Where did you get this jam kid?!"

"Yeah!" Another biker asked as he took another spoon. "It's like…English muffins, I gotta have this on English muffins!"

"No way man." Said another. "Peanut butter sandwiches, I'd kill for one right now, I swear this puts my Grandmother's home made grape jelly to shame!"

Yushio beckoned Astro. "Where did you get this? I'd pay for another jar."

"Damn right!" Daichi's friend Ketsubo snorted. "I'd pay for a case of it!"

Astro tilted his head up to a stunned Daichi as if to say…"Need I keep going?"

It was minutes later that Daichi followed Astro into a small park not far from the Ministry of Science. Astro liked it because of the wild bonsai forms of cultivated bamboo that grew along the park's center walkway. "Isn't it interesting that people can do this to bamboo?" Astro asked as they stopped to look at one curious design where several stalks of bamboo were trained to grow in a twisting, spiraling column.

"Get to the point already?" Daichi asked sternly.

"The point?" Astro replied smiling. "I was hoping you had the dots connected by now. It's obvious you're not happy, it's kinda worrisome that you're hanging around people who don't have their heads going in the right direction and your Mom's jam is…"killer". Well?......"

"Well what?" Daichi asked, sounding a little frustrated.

"Do something for yourself." Astro said folding his arms. "Your Mom gave you a gift, you should use it."

Daichi paced about. "You think I should market my Mom's jam myself? Won't that make my Dad's day? "Tokugawa Jam" he'll be very impressed."

Astro sighed…"You're being sarcastic aren't you?"

"I'm being a realist!" Daichi snorted. "My Dad will do the same thing he always does, bash my idea to bits, toss it in the family fire place and…"

"Beat you?" Astro interrupted.

Daichi shuddered.

"Yeah…when your father doesn't get his way, he beats you up. Remember last month in school when you told everybody you smacked your face on a tree limb? Like I couldn't figure out the truth?"

Daichi found a place to sit. "You don't understand how much my Dad struggled all his life to get where he is."

"No excuse." Astro replied frowning. "Making your life a mess just so you can be a carbon copy of him? It's not right."

"I don't even know why I'm taking to you." Daichi said as he started throwing rocks at the bamboo.

"Because you need an ear that will listen?" Astro said as he rubbed Daichi's shoulder. "Because I care…it's what I do. Look…what better proof does your Dad need that you can more than handle his company than to do something yourself? You have the talent, use it!"

Daichi looked at Astro and chuckled. "You know….my Dad would tell me that robots are just number crunching machines that only tell you what you think you want to hear?"

Astro smiled back. "Yeeeeah…it's kinda like that. But my crunches turn out right almost 98.382719304059687….."

"Alright! Stop with the Algebra." Daichi pushed Astro over. "Anyway, Freshman should be taking orders not give them."

"So…you'll try?" Astro said as if begging for a good answer.

"Since when does a Tokugawa try?" Daichi snorted. "I'll do it on one condition. That you won't stop me from going out on my bike when I want too….wait, like that's gonna happen. You'll back me up won't you?"

Astro smirked back. "You're asking? I'd think it's kinda obvious."

Daichi patted Astro on the back. "Let me drive you home…partner."

"I……think I'll just fly instead." Astro said waving his arms.

**Doctor Tenma's House**

**Kagunamo Suburb, Metro City**

Astro walked through the front door and put on his house slippers. "Dad, I'm home!" He called out before walking by the Doctor's study and seeing him pouring over some documents on his desk.

"How about calling me when you decide to go on one of these little "walkie" exploits Astro?" Tenma said as he rubbed his forehead.

"Sorry." Astro replied as he took a seat.

"Besides...I have a list of chores around the house for you to do. So what possessed you to stay over Tokugawa's house?" Tenma asked as he adjusted his glasses and continued reading documents.

"He was being nice." Astro replied rubbing his neck. "And Dad? Daichi is not Herman Goering."

Tenma snorted. "Now where did that come from? I said no such thing."

"Well....I think he kinda entoned that's what you meant. I know you're not fond of Mister Tokugawa."

Tenma shook a finger. "Tadyo Tokugawa isn't exactly a saint Astro. You understand I have a right to defend my work, especially you. I don't put it past that man to sneak a few "illegal peaks" when he has the opportunity."

Astro nodded back. "Dad...I don't sense the same behavior coming from Daichi."

"Good feelings or not." Tenma snorted back. "I don't want you getting too friendly with that boy, do you understand?"

Astro hesitated for a moment. "Yes Dad. I'll start on those chores."

Tenma's mood changed when he gestured Astro close and rubbed his head. "Good work today nailing that grocery store punk but try not to use your mouth to catch bullets next time?"

Astro smiled showing his two broken front teeth. "Can I keep em like this for a while? It's kinda cool looking."

Tenma chuckled. "The things you pick up these days. Now get out of here and leave me to suffer from this endless pile of paper?"

Astro walked out of the study and through the door to his little sister's room. Uran nailed him in the head with a pillow...."GET OUT!"

"Hi Sis." Astro said as he ducked.

"How many times do I have to scream at you!" Uran snarled. "Don't walk into my room without knocking! Ugh! You just beg to get decked, don't you!"

Astro sat down on Uran's bed. "I need to ask you a favor."

"Uh uh!" She snorted back. "Go ask Dad for money. You still owe me 500 yen from last time."

"It's not that." Astro said as he rested his head on a hand. "I need you to draw something for me."

"Hmph...still can't do it yourself?" Uran said frowning.

"I wasn't "born" with the artistic acuity that you got Sis."

"Because you're a boy?" Uran snorted back. "What ever. So what do you want drawn?"

Astro pulled the jam bottle from his back pack. "Take a taste of this and draw whatever comes up. It's going to be for a jar label."

Uran gave Astro a quizical smirk. "What are you up to now?"

"Huh? What do you mean? Let's just say you'll be helping some one to put their tallents to better use?" Astro said smiling.

Uran smirked back. "Know you? It'll be some crazy scheme that'll end up with something on fire and half the city in a mess."

"URAN!" Astro yelped.

"Prove me wrong?" She said batting her eyes.

Astro pursed his lips. "That's only half true."

Uran popped the top off the jar and took a taste..."Wow...."

After a moment of silence...Astro tilted his head. "That's all you can say? Wow?"

"It kinda sums it up." Uran replied licking her lips. "I mean...." She stopped to continue licking her lips. "Drawing a picture might take a day or two...Have we got any Peanut Butter?"

Astro watched as she stood up, waved a finger and walked out. "I need some Peanut Butter like now!"

Astro grabbed the jar and nodded at it intently. "Wonder what the secret ingrediant is in this stuff?"

**Tokugawa residence**

**4pm**

Daichi walked through the house removing his biking jacket and leather chaps and stopping at a mirror to fix his shirt. This was going to take some serious subtle crafting, you don't just walk in on the most powerful industrial giant in all Japan and blurt out, "I'm starting my own business so there Father!"

Daichi walked out into the guarden in the back and smiled. This was his mother's joy, she spent days at a stretch working to turn what was once weed, tall grass and cudzu into an oasis away from the daily grind of work. He would spend hours running around the carefully cared for islands of flower beds and bonsai trees draining off sugar highs and driving his father nuts till he dropped some stupid research report to chase him down. Even now he devilishly wanted to smack the old man off his head with a water balloon.

She may be gone but the feeling of happiness still wafted over the guarden, for him any way.

Daichi found his father where he normally was, sitting by the Koi pond on a stone bench with a stack of paperwork lying next to him. Daichi bravely walked up, put the stack on the ground, put a rock on it and took a seat. "The Koi have grown more." Daichi said as he pointed. His father continued to look at a report.

"Is this how we spend our time together?" Daichi asked. "Your face in papers and I just sit here? If this was all you wanted, perhaps I should just go."

Tadyo moved a hand out and restrained Daichi as he tried to stand up."Yes...I see they've grown. I was going to put this down in a moment but once again I see your patience still needs more adjusting doesn't it?"

Daichi pursed his lips. "Even here you have to give me more lessons. Don't you think Father that we could do with just a normal afternoon together?"

Tadyo pursed his lips. "You know....your mother once scolded me for starting on you so early with lessons in business?"

"Yeah." Daichi replied smirking. "You were the only person capable of writing a book that turned potty training into stock portfolio review lessons. Remember when I was nine and she bitched you out right here?"

"Do I?" Tadyo replied. "I ruined your 9th birthday because I brought business into the party and chased your friends and their parents away." Tadyo rubbed his cheek. "Your mother nailed me with a punch."

"And I stood there jumping up and down..."Hit em again Mom! Take that Dad!"

Both of them laughed till Tadyo patted Daichi's shoulder. "It's all been worth it though. You continue to please me despite your occasional acts of renegade insanity."

Daichi frowned. "You see it as rebellion. Perhaps as always father you miss the more subtle signals?Like maybe you're a little afraid of letting me do something creative on my own? Perhaps you fear me as a rival or fear me failing, how will you know lest you allow me to try things myself?"

"What's your point?" Tadyo asked.

"I have something that I want to try on my own. A little venture idea I came up with that I want you to watch, give me your business experiance. I want to prove to you that I can handle the company." Daichi waited and saw his father's expression tighten. "No?"

"What's this new venture?" Tadyo asked.

Daichi straitened himself. "Mother's favorite jam. I had a test market done on it and you wouldn't belive the results...excellent! Father, it's a new potential market for us, you said yourself you wanted to pursue a food market didn't you?"

Tadyo gave Daichi a stressful look. "You know how I feel about anything involving your mother."

Daichi got up from the stone bench. "How many times did she make it and sell it just for charity? This isn't something we should just lock away from the rest of the world. Father, let me at least have the opportunity to try?"

Tadyo rubbed his bearded chin and brooded. "Give me tonight to think it over?"

Daichi sighed then nodded. "Yes..." He turned to walk back into the house. "Shall I have dinner made?"

Tadyo shook his head. "Tell the robots to prepare something light for tonight. Daichi? Don't think about jumping over me before I decide. Patience has always been your weakest emotion."

**7pm**

**Doctor Tenma's house**

Astro was already in his pajamas and doing his school work when there came a tapping on his window and Daichi stuck his head in. "A Freshman wearing footsies?! Just wait till you get to school tomorrow."

"Hmph! They're comfortable!" Astro said smirking as he watched Daichi climb through the window. "You're at it again huh?" He said as he looked at Daichi's biker suit.

"No! I just came by to tell you I got my Dad to agree and trust me that's not easy."

Astro walked back to his study desk and came back with a drawing in his hand. "This is what my sister came up with."

Daichi looked at the drawing and pursed his lips. "The dancing white lion?"

"She's got this thing for big cats, don't ask me why." Astro said shrugging. "You should see her room, stuffed cat heaven."

Astro took a seat on his bed and rubbed his chin on his knees. "I couldn't resist trying to analyse the jam. I just can't figure out why people enjoy it so much! Uran's been tearing up a jar of peanut butter since this afternoon."

"It has that effect." Daichi said smiling. "The secret's in the berries. My Mom was quite the guardener, the berries are like a cross breed of five or six varieties."

"And they all mixed good by chance?" Astro asked.

"No....I was the tortured test subject." Daichi replied chuckling. "Trust me, not all her combinations worked."


	3. Chapter 3

"No...I was the tortured test subject." Daichi replied chuckling. "Trust me, not all her combinations worked. I mastered the fne art of facial prunings as my mother called it."

Astro smiled as he wiggled his toes. "I'm supposed to be an exact copy of my Dad's son? But he didn't give me independant toes. They all move at the same time, drives me crazy."

Daichi chuckled a little before turning serious. "I bet there's hundreds of people out in the world who could use your attention Astro. Why'd you pick me out? A rich...spoiled kid who doesn't like to listen to anyone."

"Well..." Astro thought..."It's pointless to keep asking me, I just picked you because you're a good person who's just in need of a friendly tweek. Plus...I'm hoping to get some more of that jam before my sister kidnaps you."

"You honestly think I can make this work?" Daichi asked as he got up to leave.

"You have to believe in yourself." Astro replied. "And don't let your Dad tell you otherwise?"

Daichi nodded. "I'm meeting the owner of an agracultural concern after school tomorrow. Can you be there?"

"I'll try.." Astro replied. "If I'm not called to lift a 7,000 ton truck or save someone's cat."

Astro sat for a moment chasing music stations around in his head till Uran popped in waving an empty jar. "Did you ask for more? I gotta get some more peanut butter!"

"No!" Astro replied. "Besides...we should compensate him Sis, it's wrong to just keep getting it for nothing."

"Hmph! Just like always...you're a big buzz kill you know."

Astro snorted back. "No worse than living with you every day."

After the wild pillow fight that resulted, Astro spent the next hour cleaning up the mess of feathers scattered about his room. "I really need to work on her humor responses."

**next day**

**Metro City High School**

**Gym Class**

Astro wiggled and crouched low, trying to throw the pitcher off her game but this girl was good! He dove back for the bag and just missed getting tagged again by an inch!

She gave him an evil smirk. "I dare you!"

"Gee." Astro said as he stood up and rubbed dirt off his uniform. "That's what I get for inviting you to pizza after school? Love you too Nicky!"

She turned back to the present batter, who'd fouled seven times now against her. "This one's good!" She thought as she went into the wind up and let fly a wild hook ball that sank for the ground then suddenly shot upwards over the plate...

"PLANG!" went the alluminum bat as the ball flew past Nicky's face and over the glove of her diving second baseman. Astro threw taunts at her as he smacked the second base bag and flew for 3rd...!

"Gang way!" Astro screamed as he went airborne half way to the 3rd base bag, Unfortunatly in all his preperations to play with his human school mates, Astro forgot to disengage the auto firing trigger on his rocket legs! They flew him past the 3rd baseman to a not so dignified landing in the bleachers where a half full abandoned softdrink drenched him in the head as he lay entangled in the seats.

Nicky bent over him and touched the baseball to his head. "You're really out this time."

"That was dumb." Astro said as he climbed out of the seats and sat down. "You beat us again."

"Yeah." Nicky replied as she sat down. "Not everything can go your way oh Rocket Ranger. Now about that pizza?"

Astro slapped his forehead. "Ugh! I promised a friend I'd be somewhere this afternoon!"

Nicky chuckled. "You forgot? Wow! A sudden advancement in robot technology, I better call a news paper."

Astro gave her a nudge. "It's not like that's new. You make dodging dates an art form."

"I do not!" She said pushing him back. "I'm not the one going around every five minutes saving everyone's cat or busting J-walkers."

"Now you're being silly." Astro said frowning. He suddenly felt her lips on his cheek and froze for a moment...

Nicky whispered quietly into his ear. "I hear Yushino Garden Park is nice right now...specially after dark? Saturday maybe?...that is...if you'll shut your locator beacon and your radio off for once?"

"Uh...ok." He replied as she tweeked his nose and left him sitting on the bleechers with a doughish look on his face. He didn't notice Abercrombie had slid aside him...

"Sniff, sniff..." "She burned a few of your circuits this time didn't she?" He waved his hand in front of Astro's face. "Hey?..."

"Huh?" Astro said as he looked around. "how did I get on the bleechers?"

Abercrombie laughed. "Yup...she got you again. Man I hope she doesn't kiss your lips, you might take out the whole city."

**2:30pm**

**Higuchiro Global Agro Concern**

Daichi sat quietly, almost stone like with his tea as the company owner, its CEO and operations manager took samples of the jam then commented among themselves. At least their faces displayed a positive out come.

Mister Kansai, the tall and lean looking CEO bowed slightly. "I have never tasted something so...so unique! I can't begin to discribe the sensations, the way the flavor changes as it migrates along the tongue. I 'm curious Mister Tokugawa, with all your family's success why didn't you capitalize on this?"

Daichi thought of what to say. "That part is difficult to explain and somewhat sensitive where my father is concerned. This is my own venture and believe me it wasn't easy getting him to "warm up" to the idea."

Miss Namba, the Operations manager, folded her hands and pointed at Daichi. "We'll need to do some field testing of course."

"That's been done." Daichi replied. "It's just that my "partner" seems to have gotten lost in traffic."

"Well...you must understand." She said with a little hesitation. "If our company should accept this venture..."

Daichi raised a hand. "I must be careful because this is my mother's most cherished work and the risk of it being copied is too much for me not to retain full control over it's distribution."

"Then perhaps we have no deal?" She rudely replied.

Daichi tensed up, the hardball had been chucked. He was about to throw it back at her face when he saw Astro slip through the open office window. "A little late but here's my partner."

Astro smiled and shook the hands of the Owner and CEO. "I...was a little late getting out of my school baseball game. Sorry."

Daichi almost laughed when he saw the smear of lipstick lips on Astro's cheek but of course...robot's couldn't lie right? "Tell them about your testing Astro?" Daichi asked as Astro took a seat.

"So far I've tested over 100 people." Astro said as he pulled a memory stick from his pocket. "You'll find 60 percent under the age of 18 seem to be the best market. Two combinations seem to be the most influential...jam on pastry and jam with peanut butter, especially peanut butter...it kinda sets off a craving desire."

The owner rubbed his chin. "There may be a setback in this day of health conciousness. Especially with persons having peanut alergy or diabetes. And promoting a pastry line..."

Astro looked at Daichi then waved a hand. "I've done an analysis of the jam myself. Misses Tokugawa's combination of berry species has resulted in the berry creating a negetive sugar alchohal content, barely 2 percent per serving...about 3 Tablespoons. You won't find any modern jam or jelly that has less than that, even jams with sugar substitutes still pack around 10 percent per serving and that serving is per Tablespoon."

Astro looked at the three company members and realized he was talking to fast for them to catch up. "Ooops...well it's all on the memory stick if you want to see it but I agree with Daichi, for the time being he should be allowed to keep tight control over the berries and the formula."

The owner gave a hint of a pleased smile. "Well...since our esteemed visitor is here, I have no complaints. Mister Tokugawa? Would you be willing to come again tomorrow morning for a more detailed study?"

Daichi nodded, trying to contain his excitement. "Of course...of course. Thank you very much." He bowed slightly and shook hands before walking with Astro out of the building.."You got here at the right time. I wonder if they saw..." Daichi pointed to the lips painted on Astro's cheek.

"Ugh? Oh shoot!" Astro replied as he wiped it. "She does that on purpose!"

Daichi snickered. "Astro? In love? Is she cute?"

"No!" Astro snorted. "She's...she's a she-devil that's what."

Daichi laughed. "Oh come on...what is she? A robot? A freshman? an upper classman? You're dating your teacher!"

"Errrrr...she's my rival!" Astro replied. "From baseball to soccer to math to kendo...you name it, she challanges me at it. And yeah...she's cute too."

Daichi stopped. "Are you dating?"

"You call it dating, I call it torture." Astro replied miffingly. "That's another thing she's better at than me. When it comes to dating, all the web surfing can't help me. My circuits mess up, I trip over my own feet, in short hand?"

Astro paused. "I turn into a total dork."

Daichi giggled. "Looks like it's my turn to be helpful huh? You help me market my mom's jam and I help get you out of your girl jam...fair trade?"

Astro nodded. "You're still going out biking with that gang, I can tell. You can't be successful by hanging around a bunch of creeps."

"Don't start Astro." Daichi said snorting. "We work well together, let's keep it that way."

**2:30pm**

**Headquarters**

**Tokugawa Industrials**

**Metro City**

Tadyo stood reading a business report in front of his desk when his trusted aid Warase Mitsunari walked in. Mitsunari was a clean cut college go-getter, one of those rare few who actually used their college years for advancement rather than a four year drinking and party binge. Tokugawa picked him up not so much for the promise of a good weeks pay but for the young man's loyalty and his agressive skill.

"Mitsunari?" Tadyo beckoned. "I need you to work with my son, he has this business venture he's working on."

"Yes Sir." The young man replied easily.

"I want you to keep me abreast of all the details. I also want you to keep a close eye on the robot he's hanging around with...I'm uneasy with his influences."

"I understand." Mitsunari said with a slight head bob.

Tadyo brooded. "I...also might need you to...frustrate my son's progress from time to time...you will do that?"

"With good reason Sir...of course."

Tadyo turned and shooshed the young man away. "If I can't get Daichi to shake off that little insect directly...then I guess he needs to learn the hard way."

**Doctor Tenma's house**

**5pm**

Astro poked his head into his father's study and found Doctor Tenma at work as usual, pouring over a holographic schematic and forgoing dinner.

"Dad? Uran spent two hours to make this and here you are working. She's not very happy with you." Astro stood holding the dinner tray till Tenma slackened from his table and went to sit at his desk."

"Guess I better find something to make up for it." The Doctor said sighing. "I get so caught up in things that I forget the time."

Astro placed the tray on Tenma's desk then pulled a chair over. "Dad? Why do you think I'm wrong trying to help Daichi Tokugawa?"

"I never said you were wrong Son." Tenma said as he cut up his steak. "I said I was "concerned." You always mean well Astro but sometimes in doing so you become a little naive. Something I didn't expect could happen in your design."

"I know Tadyo Tokugawa's a creep Dad." Astro said as he rubbed his head. "That doesn't mean Daichi's the same. He certainly doesn't get "any love" from his Dad, I've figured that much."

Tenma sat brooding. "I know a little about Daichi Son and what little I do know doesn't make me comfortable. He's a troublemaker in the wings. Rebellious and spitefull...a bad combination."

Astro rubbed his chin..."Lemme see...rebellious? unpredictable? a troublemaker in the wings?...if I remember...You said the same things about me at one time when I wouldn't do what you wanted."

Tenma smiled. "Well played...I will give credit though for this excellent berry jam though. You may be doing the right thing by Daichi my boy...just, be a little cautious?"

Astro gave Tenma a quick hug. "I'm going over to see Kenichi. Take a spin around the city. I'll be home by ten?"

"You'll be in bed by nine." Tenma replied. "School night and no complaints."

**East Metro City**

**Sabusame suburbs**

**6pm**

Daichi watched the bottle full of rocks tumble through the air and smash through the car windshield, causing the two occupants to jump out!

"YEAH!" Ketsubo screamed out as he popped his bike into a one tire stand. "THAT'S WHAT YOU GET WHEN YOU TRY TO TELL US TO MOVE YOU DUMB CREEP!" He came down next to Daichi and handed him a baloon full of paint. "Go man! Hit that idiot in the head with this!"

Daichi looked at the balloon and hesitated. "I think bashing a window in was enough."

"What?" Ketsubo snorted. "Have you gone soft? It's never enough when some zuit suited know it all messes with us! Come on Daichi, nail the guy!"

Daichi gave it another thought and chucked the balloon at the fleeing man...with a weak enough toss that it fell short. "Damn it he's fast!" Daichi snarled.

"Ain't fast enough for me though!" Ketsubo snarled as he powered up his bike and roared towards the screaming motorist with another ballon of paint high over his head! "EEEEEEEEEEEEEHAW! WEAR THIS YOU SILLY...!"

Suddenly Ketsubo's bike came to a abrupt halt and he flew over the handle bars and into an upstretched hand...

"I'm just out for a nice evening and you guys have to ruin it for me...tsk, tsk, tsk..." Astro said as he dropped Ketsuo on his butt.

"You again?" Ketsubo snapped. "Shouldn't you be doing something worth a robot's energy like sweeping a street or something?"

"Yeah." Astro replied. "I'm doing that." He walked up to Daichi frowning. "I thought I couldn't be wrong about you but you sure are making it harder and harder."

Daichi snorted back. "Look Astro! I don't need a babysitter alright, I know this rubs you a little raw but I need a little space to be myself you got that?"

Astro sighed. "But this isn't you...you know...I'm really stretching my neck out for you, not just you but your whole gang. Towashi's chomping that fat cigar to bust all your heads in and I'm the one keeping him back. I'd appreciate a little respect?" Astro gave Daichi a serious glace. "And some honesty."

Honbra, the gang leader, leaned over his handle bars. "Make up your mind Daichi, go with us or stay and lip with the pocket watch."

Daichi waved a hand. "I'll catch up like always, you guys go on." As his friends left, he watched as Astro climbed onto his bike, a sure sign the robot wasn't done giving him the works...

"So make up your mind because I'm not going to waste my time chasing you all over the Kanto Plain." Astro said with a serious displeased frown on his face. "I just don't understand...you've got a great opportunity sitting on your lap and you want to blow it off?"

Daichi rested against a guard rail. "I'm not "blowing it"." He said pursing his lips. "Trust me I'm working on all the details. You want me to work on it all day from a silly desk? Wear a buisness suit and hook myself to my Dad all day?"

Astro sighed. "No...of course not. But you're taking a dumb risk by hanging around with these guys. I just don't want to see you lose out by ending up in a patrol car or worse that's all."

Daichi shook his head and smiled softly. "Come over my house tomorrow and I'll go over everything with you and you'll see I'm on top of it...but Astro, I need to be me, I need time away from my Dad, from the whole world if things are going to come out right."

Astro looked a little frustrated, he fidgited. It was obvious he was having a clash between what his programing was telling him and what he wanted to say so as not to make things worse..."I'm...just being honest...hmph! As if I could be dishonest huh?"

Daichi patted him on the shoulder. "Don't try to be too human, too quick? Your head's gonna explode. Just trust me?"

Astro slipped off the bike and watched Daichi roll away with balled up fists...he so wanted to chase after him but was resisting the natural orders his programing fired into his head.

**Reno's Lab**

**Ministry of Science**

**8pm**

Reno had just sat down on his futon to watch the local two hour anime run on TV when Astro came through his apartment door, kicked his red boots off and all but fell into a serious pouting funk aside of him. He said nothing for a few seconds, watching Astro drop his head into his hands and give him side glaces as if to say..."My whole day was totally wasted."

"You...didn't get an "F" today?" Reno said with a smirk.

"You humans are beyond logical explaination." Astro snorted back. "How you ended up creating robots is beyond my ability to calculate."

"Hey!" Reno said frowning. "That's not nice."

"Well...why is it so hard to get someone to understand something's for their own good when they like to do something that's totally not good for them?" Astro said exasperated.

"You're losing me." Reno said smiling.

Astro sighed..."The jam you like? It's Daichi Tokugawa's."

"No way. That bike punk you talk about?"

"He's not a punk!" Astro snapped back. "At least that's what I...feel or sense or calculate or whatever's making my head hurt. Anyway I'm trying to help him get it on the market...to be honest? I don't really understand why he's got me so...so fixated."

Reno wrapped an arm around the bewildered bot. "Because you're a sucker for sad cases and Daichi Tokugawa's a prime candidate? When you have to live with an industrial monster like big Tokugawa, you're bound to turn into a nasty street hood...or is it my robotics professor?"

Reno rubbed Astro's back. "I know you'll turn him around Astro, you got a gift for it. Oh! Nicky called me about an hour ago. She's been trying to call you but it looks like you left your radio off again."

Astro gasped. "Uh! I was supposed to make a date with her this Saturday! She's probably upset that I...oh man!" Astro stood up and walked into the bathroom. "I hope she'll understand..."

Astro stood still for a moment, his internal radio making the connection to Nicky's cell phone. "Hello?" She answered.

"Hi." Astro replied nervously. "I'm sorry I didn't call earlier about our date on Saturday."

"That's ok." Nicky replied. "I kinda thought you'd be a little busy."

"Yeah...plates a little full." Astro replied. "Uh...mmmm...anyone ever tell you..." He started to shiver. "You're hair's really...lovely?" Astro bit his lip. "That just sounded so dumb!" He thought to himself.

"Yeah...my parents." Nicky replied smirking. "So are we still on for Saturday?"

"Sure!" Astro said. "You...want to go to the public garden right?"

"You don't remember?" Nicky said a little miffed. "I hope your memory gets better before then or you might forget it. I'll meet you there at six ok?"

"Yeah." Astro replied wiping his forehead. "Six."

The click of Nicky's phone caused Astro to sag onto the toilet and shake his head as Reno peaked in. "You ok?"

"Do I look ok?" Astro replied frowning. "To Nicky...I must sound like a loser. I don't know how to act Reno! I've done so much research and it's not helping me!"

Reno patted his frustrated friend. "Nor does your Cocoro. Seems Nicky's a bit more advanced in the emotions department and you'll just have to work it out the best way you can."

Astro smirked back. "More chocolates I guess huh?"

"There's always the French Foreign Legion?" Reno said as he helped his friend to the door. "Anyway...I got more stuff to do before bed. Try to relax and not let her stress you out ok?"


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

**Tokugawa residence**

**Evening**

Daichi walked into the front foyer and met Louis, who took his bike leathers and hung them up in a craftfully hidden closet in one of the walls.

"Master Daichi? A mister Mitsunari is waiting for you in the guest lounge." Louis said as he pointed to the doorway where Mitsunari was walking from.

"Evening Sir." Mitsunari said as he extended his hand and bowed. "Your father requested I assist you in your venture."

Daichi gave the man a slightly irritated smirk. "That's nice. I don't think I asked for any help did I?"

Mitsunari followed Daichi back to the guest room. "Please don't be distressed Sir, You father was just wanting to make sure that you're free to better concentrate on the important asspects of marketing and distribution. I'm mearly to handle the excessive details of finances, law and..."

"Spying on me?" Daichi replied. "You can be honest Mitsunari, I know my father has some issues with what I'm doing."

"There is nothing of the sort to my appointment Sir, I can assure you." Mitsunari said as he took a cup of coffie from Louis.

"Well...in any case? Don't call me Sir, it irritates me." Daichi took a seat and gave Mitsunari a notebook. "This is my progress so far. I'll need legal research done on both "Higuchiro Global Agro Concern" and "Matchimoto Distributors LTD." Also I'm researching two more agrocultural companies in Nishima Province for growing the berries, I need their backgrounds as well."

"Yes." Mitsunari replied with a nod. "I will attend to these at once. I do want to inquire however about a concern of your fathers? Your current relationship with this "Astro"?"

"Bring it up again and you'll be ass up in the street with a boot." Daichi snorted. "And you can tell my father that from me. It's none of his business. Do we have an understanding?"

"Yes..." Mitsunari said before he excused himself and left Daichi alone.

**Morning**

**Tenma residence**

Astro felt a surge of warmth course through his body. Sensors were going off like crazy in his head, there was a strange electric tingling on his lips and he was still half asleep when he reached up to feel...the hair?

Something strange was going on...something strange and yet...and yet he was liking whatever it was. It wasn't dangerous, that was certain and the more he moved his lips around...the better it got.

At least until he opened his eyes to find Uran planting a sloppy kiss on his lips?

"AAAAAAAHHHH!" Astro thrashed wildly around and rolled off his bed and onto his head. "GNAH! URAN!"

"You know it's time to get up for school big brother?" Uran said as she rubbed her hair.

"Ugh! You were kissing me!" Astro said as he stood up shaking his arms. "You kissed me on the lips! That's so wrong Uran!"

"Big deal." Uran replied. "You were trying to sleep in late to avoid school, I can tell. Any way I needed practice."

"Practice?" Astro snatched up a boot and threw it by her head. "You don't kiss your brother on the lips! If you tell anybody, I'll bounce you all over the city!"

"Relax..." Uran joshed. "You're such a spazoid. You haven't even kissed a girl yet have you?"

"You're totally missing the whole point." Astro replied frowning. "Ugh...whatever, get out of my room."

Uran smirked back. "By the way...if you don't work on improving the fish-like lameness of your kissing? You'll never have a girlfriend."

"GET...OUT!" Astro snapped as he chased his giggling sister from his room then sagged onto the bed.


	5. Chapter 5

**The Rappleberry Caper**

Chpter 5

"GET...OUT!" Astro snapped as he chased his giggling sister from his room then sagged onto the bed. "I know it's time for school but..." He turned his head to see the light on his cel phone blinking on and off. "Daichi's been trying to call me?"

Astro fumbled with the phone resting against his cheek as he rummaged through his dresser for a pair of clothes. "I've been trying to get a hold of you since midnight." Daichi replied as Astro fell backwards onto his bed struggling with his pants.

"It's a school day or did you forget that?" Astro said as he jammed his feet into his red boots.

"You can skip school today." Daichi replied. "I talked to Miss Myoki...even though I know missing a day in her class will break your little heart, she's letting you spend the day here."

Astro pursed his lips. "I'll consider it. What could possibly be better than being at school?"

"Well..." Daichi replied. "Reading a contract. You do have an extensive memory of law don't you?"

Astro flopped on his bed. "That's about as fun as licking a light socket."

"That was my next offer!" Daichi said gleefully. "Oh come on Astro? You wanted to know if I was going to be serious about this business right?"

Astro rubbed his head. "Ok! I'll be over in a few minutes."

**Tokugawa residence**

**Daichi's room**

Astro walked about the overly large bedroom with his lips pootched out and his fingers moving swiftly over the collection of papers in his hand. "So far it sounds reasonable...except for the section where they talk about "business right of entitlement". " Astro stopped by Daichi's computer desk and pointed out the few phrases as Daichi adjusted a set of reading glasses. "Do you...need those to drive that bike?" Astro asked with a questionable face.

"No." Daichi replied. "Well...to be honest...I should wear em but how cool would they look? I mean what biker ever goes around with a pair of perscription glasses?"

Astro snorted back. "One who doesn't end up road pizza? Anyway...this section could be interpreted to mean two or three different ways and all of them would give this company an excuse to grab the rights to the recepie from right under your nose. I'd question that."

"See?" Daichi said as he pointed his glasses towards Astro. "I told you this would be a productive day. Certainly better than school."

Astro stopped reading the contract to focus on several picture paintings on Daichi's wall near his bed. "Who did these?"

Daichi got up from the desk and stood next to Astro. "I did...when I was ten."

Astro looked closer. The painting of Mount Fuji had him spellbound. "I'm still trying to understand the indepth concepts of appreciating art but if I'm right and you could call what I'm saying to be perfectly honest?" Astro squinted with a smile. "This is... totally cool!"

Daichi frowned. "I'm glad you approve. My father certainly doesn't."

Astro noticed Daichi's change. "Why not? You did that at ten? How could he miss the potential you have?"

"Un-nessesary." Daichi replied as he sat on his bed. "Art is un-nessessary, a diversion from my destiny. The last time my father was ever pleased by my artwork was when I was seven. After that...it became a hinderance."

"A hinderance." Astro said with a sigh. "I can see why you'd decide being in a gang was a better thing to do. It seems your father's lost what it means to be a parent."

Daichi shook his head. "Let's drop that for now. Take a break from this contract stuff." Daichi said as he poked Astro's head. "Let's take a minute to talk about your little problem named Niki. What's your plan for Saturday night?"

Astro took a moment to think. "We're going to the Yushino Guarden Park."

"And that's all?" Daichi asked.

"Yeah." Astro replied.

"And what are you going to wear?" Daichi asked with a slight smirk.

"Well..." Astro said scratching his head. "I have a nice blue suit, black dress shoes..."

"Woe!" Daichi said shaking his hands. "A dress suit?"

"Uh huh." Astro replied with a sort of worry in his face. "I thought it would be appropriate for the setting."

Daichi shook his head. "So all you're going to do is go to the garden and what else?"

Astro's lips rubbed together as he thought. "Maybe kiss her...I dunno."

"Oh God." Daichi said as he winced. "You need some serious coaching. If Nicky's anything like you describe her? You're well on your way to looking like a fool."

"I knew all the research wouldn't help." Astro said a little miffed.

"Fortunatly for you my good partner? My dad didn't teach me everything in life. Trust me and I might get you more than a little peck on the cheek Saturday. Consider it a generous bonus for helping me with my business?"

Astro smiled back. "She's really very nice..."

"The first thing we have to do is work on your vocabullary." Daichi said as he pointed to Astro's nose. "You sound a little bland when you describe her? It's a little pre-schoolish not high schoolish."

Astro pursed his lips. "I've heard some of the high schoolish stuff and to me it's upsetting and disrespectful."

Daichi fist bumped Astro's shoulder. "Don't worry...I'm not going to teach you to swear and stuff like that. But let's get back to review this contract ok? Then we'll work on your problem."

Astro nodded then started to read over the contract once more. He felt he was finally getting to Daichi and changing his life's course, which for a robot was always a moment of warm satisfaction...at least for Astro it was a "feeling" of some sorts. For a robot, accomplishing his primary aim in life mattered greatly. Bolstering his purpose for existance.

As the afternoon came, so too did the every so often expectation of trouble. Inspector Towashi's voice boomed in Astro's ear. "Astro? Where are you?"

"I'm helping a friend with some paperwork." Astro replied quietly.

"Well I need you at the municipal building like yesterday! Some guy just got his law suit thrown out and now he's holding the prefectoral majestrate and a whole court room hostage with a bomb!"

Astro sighed. "I thought you had things like SWAT and bomb squads Inspector?"

"I need a plan B! Don't be a little wise ass Astro, I'm not in the mood..."

Astro stood up. "You're never in the mood."

"Get down here before I call your father!" Towashi snarled before he clicke doff his communicator.

Daichi snorted. "Oh call your Dad? Like what's he gonna do, spank you with a bare hand?"

Astro shook his head. "Oh...Doctor Tenma's pretty convincing when he's upset...trust me. So...how are you going to help me on Saturday?"

Daichi walked with Astro to the front door. "Trust me...I'm sure you've seen Cerano DeBergerauc right? Look it up, great old movie trust me."

Astro looked around. "It doesn't have anything to do with the poster in your room? The one that says "My dream biker bitch?"

"ASTRO!" Daichi screamed.

"What? I said one bad word and now the whole world's gonna end? Sheesh!"

Daichi pursed his lips. "Don't grow up too quickly kid? And don't tell anyone about my poster."

Astro waved as he flew off to help the police. Just then, Lewis poked his head into the room. "Master Daichi, Mister Mitsunari is waiting for you in the study room."

Daichi walked to the study and found Mitsunari arranging files on the large coffee table. "Sir, I have done the research you requested on potential manufactures and producers..."

"It's not "Sir" Mitsunari." Daichi said waving a hand. "Just Daichi while in my house."

"Excuse me." Mitsunari replied with a smile. "I would say these four are the most fitting prospectives."

As Daichi reviewed the files, Mitsunari sipped a coffee. "There is one concern I should express however. In talking with your father I know your mother never wrote down her recepie for the jam, doesn't that worry you?"

Daichi tapped his head. "It's here..." And his chest. "And here. That's the best place for it and no I'm not going to write it down."

"But you're taking a risk." Mitsunari said as he waved a finger. "You could suffer an accident and lose your memories, one bump of the head and it's all over."

Daichi curled his lip. "One slip of the lip and it's all over. I'm not going to write it down for someone to just steal it."

"Then how will it be produced without the makers knowing how to do it?" Mitsunari pondered.

"That's for me to work out." Daichi said smirking. "Your job is to help set up the network, I'll handle all the finery stuff. That's the end of that."

**Saturday evening**

**Doctor Tenma's house**

"Why am I not surprised?"

Astro shuddered when he heard Daichi's voice at his bedroom window. He dropped the tie as he turned around. "I thought you were going to call me."

"I changed my mind." Daichi said as he leaned on the window sill. "And as I expected...you're still trying to wear that dress suit? I told you it's way too much."

Astro frowned. "You were kind of abscent the last two days."

Daichi smiled. "Well I made a promise right? Just because I've been tied up in all this organizing doesn't mean I couldn't be here." Daichi climbed through the window and pulled Astro's dress jacket off..."Come on...out of the monkey suit. Cheese, looks like I have to dress you myself don't I?"

Daichi started rummaging through Astro's dresser. "Here's a nice shirt...a pair of blue jeans...then again maybe this SEAL shirt would be cool too..."

"I can dress myself." Astro snorted as Daichi stood swapping clothes over the boy bot's front.

"You're a coordination disaster." Daichi huffed. "Here...put these on."

"If she shows up in a nice dress, I'll look dumb." Astro said frowning.

"Trust me, she won't." Daichi replied.

Astro pursed his lips. "You've been spying on her."

"Like Musashi once said. "Know your opponant." " Daichi pulled out a small jar as Astro looked in a mirror. He felt the finger lightly stroke under his chin.

"Sniff...sniff..." "Why are you putting the jam there?" Astro asked.

"Call it an experament. I want to see how she reacts." Daichi replied smiling. "There may be more than a few uses for this."

Astro giggled. "She's gonna crave peanut butter."

"She might crave it on you." Daichi replied. Astro pushed him and snorted as Daichi climbed through the bedroom window. "You comming?"

Astro grabbed a jacket from his closet and hopped through the window. "We'll be late!"

"Just a few minutes." Daichi said as he started his hover bike. "You don't need to be there two hours early."

**Yushino Garden Park**

**7pm**

"Ok...can you hear me?" Daichi asked as he sat across the street from the front gate on his bike.

Astro stood tapping his head till Daichi's radio signal sounded clearly in his reciever. "Uh huh...are you sure this will work?"

"As long as you don't talk back with her standing there. Now you gotta be quick with what I tell you." Daichi said waving his finger. "This is like judo, she likes to tease and make you feel silly then you have to respond with a good block, a quick throw and a fast chop."

"There you are!" Came Nicky's voice. "You're five minutes late."

Astro turned. "Well..."

Daichi: I don't control the traffic around here.

"I don't control the traffic around here." Astro said as he started walking with Nicky beside him.

Daichi: Besides...I was still looking for a gift for you but what could I get that would fit someone so sweet? "And doe your eyes a little...

Astro doed his eyes. "I was still looking for a gift for you but what could I get that would fit someone so sweet?"

Nicky smirked. "You sound like someone who's stealing lines from the movies."

Daichi: And you still dress like a Tom Boy. I don't see a baseball diamond anywhere do you?

Astro almost dropped his jaw. "I can't say that!" he replied slently in panic.

Daichi: Do it. And smile at her.

Astro smiled. "And you still dress like a Tom Boy. I don't see a baseball diamond anywhere do you?"

Astro was afraid she'd explode and leave. Insted Nicky gave him a quizical frown and started to speed up.

Daichi: Grab her hand.

Astro reached out and snatched Nicky's hand gently.

Astro: She pulled it away!

Daichi: Grab it again and hold it!

Astro grabbed Nicky's hand again and felt her resisting it.

Daichi: Nicky...stop.

"Nicky...stop." Astro commanded. Nicky slowly stopped pulling and stood swinging Astro's arm back and forth.

Daichi: Why do you make me feel so foolish when you know I love you? Grab her other hand and hold that too.

Astro grabbed Nicky's other hand and sighed. "Why do you make me feel so foolish when you know I love you?"

Astro to Daichi: Gee...that was blunt!

Daichi: Show some guts.

Nicky looked at Astro. "Well...it's not like I haven't sent you any signals." She pulled him along as they started walking through the garden. "For being such an advanced robot? You sure can't take hints very well."

Daichi listened to the silence and shook his head. "Well say something?"

Astro: Any ideas?

Nicky pursed her lips. "See what I mean?"

Astro suddenly blurted..."Duh!"

"What?" Nicky replied with her eyes bugged. "Now what was that for?"

Astro rubed his head. "Nothing! I was...I was trying to think so I wouldn't come back sounding stupid...

Daichi slapped his head. "Oh man he is really boot camp."

Nicky frowned and tried to pull away. "You have no idea what love is..."

Astro pulled her back. "Nicky...stop and let me talk."

"You haven't been doing much of that." She replied.

"It's not like you give me a chance!" Astro replied. "Gnah...the only time we ever see each other is on the dumb baseball diamond and that really sucks!"

Daichi: Woe!

Astro: I don't need the bleacher section right now.

Daichi: Prove it.

Astro led Nicky to a bench. "You know...when you're programmed to take on crazy robots, bad guys and cats stuck in a tree and you walk around armed to the teeth it's a little difficult to go beyond boxed chocolates and a pretty smile?"

Nicky smiled a little. "But you never ask. I mean I knew you were a little inexperianced with the idea of love, it took me like a year to process the whole..."

Astro suddenly darted in and kissed Nicky on the lips!

Daichi: Woe! Back away tiger!"

Astro backed off and saw Nicky had a shocked look on her face. But it wasn't from the opportunistic smootch steal...

"Huh? What's that smell?" She said as she sniffed close to Astro's face.

"Uh...just...just something a friend said I should wear." Astro fidgited as Nicky snuggled up to him.

"That's...that's so..."sniff"...so interesting."

Astro: Uh...Daichi?

Daichi: Wow...that's a little unexpected.

Astro: What do I do? She's like trying to climb on me!

Daichi: Hug her silly!

Astro wrapped his arms around Nicky. "You know...there's a thousand different kinds of flowers in here..."

"Yeah...they can wait." Nicky said as she gave Astro a doeish smile and a light kiss on the cheek. "How's this processing?"

"Kinda good." He replied. "Uh?...Did I put too much of this stuff on or what?"

Nicky backed off a little. "What ever it is? If he's not doing anything with it, he's nuts. I mean...I just can't help but sniff some more. My processors are going batty."

Daichi: (Laughter)

Astro suddenly blurted..."Oh shut up!"

"What was that for?" Nicky replied frowning.

"No!...no...I...I wasn't...gnah...I was trying..." Astro rubbed his head furiously. "What a dumb idiot."

Nicky gave him a quizical look. "Are you ok?"

"Yes!..." Astro replied. "Yeah...just...well I'm all nervious nitty here..."

Nicky brushed a finger across Astro's chest. "Then...maybe we're in the wrong place? Wanna come to my house?"


	6. Chapter 6

Astro: Uh?...

Daichi: Yes! Say yes!

Astro: But...I wasn't expecting...

Daichi: Say yes!

Astro: I...I...

Astro stood rubbing his head. "Uh...oh...kay?"

Nicky grabbed his hands. "Great! My parents are working tonight at the hospital so they won't be home till like ten in the morning...

Astro suddenly waved his hands. "Now hold it! Nicky...shouldn't you call and tell em..."

Nicky gave Astro an evil looking smile. "What? Are you going to chicken out on me? I promise...nothing stupid's gonna happen ok? I'm just inviting you over for dinner...a movie...and a break from the usual super hero stuff!

"If you say no." Nicky warned. "Everyone will know by 9am Monday what kind of a coward you are."

Astro: Daichi?...what do I do?

Daichi: You shut up and go have some fun. Don't come looking for help, I'm not giving it.

Astro: I thought we were friends?

Daichi: We are...I just helped you nail a nice date...you can at least thank me?

As Nicky pulled Astro behind her, Daichi sat back on his bike smiling and laughing up a storm. At least he could run wild the rest of the weekend and not have to worry about Astro hovering over his shoulder!

**Monday Morning**

**Metro City High School**

Daichi didn't have to go far to find Astro. He was at his school locker packing his book bag for the next period and looking rather happy, judging from the cheery smile on his face as he turned to wave.

"Wow!" Daichi said with a smirk. "You're not dead!"

"Uh, uh." Astro replied as he closed his locker door. "It was wonderful! Though...I still don't know if the bubbles were for cleaning or soothing."

"That's for you to figure out." Daichi said with a wink. "So...she wasn't the fearsome threat you thought she'd be huh?"

"I never said that!" Astro replied.

"Oh?" Daichi replied with a questioning look. "You made it sound that way when you called me again. So when's the next date?"

Astro rubed his chin. "Next Saturday. I'm taking her to the movies and then to dinner."

"Did you get out before her parents showed up?"

"Well...I sort of slept a little late and the escape was...well...a little undignified dive into a bush?"

Daichi laughed softly. "Welcome to the wonderful world of girlfriends and adolescense my little man."

Astro then looked at Daichi with a scowl. "You were hoping I wouldn't chase you that night huh? Well I did after Nicky was asleep..."

"As I told you..." Daichi threw his arms out but Astro slapped a hand away.

"You're just bound and determined to mess everything up!" Astro snapped, which got the attention of passing students. He quickly stopped and walked Daichi out into the school's main courtyard. "You're so close to doing something by yourself Daichi! I keep telling you that hanging with that gang will get you into big trouble but you keep ignoring me!"

Daichi looked aside and pursed his lips. "It's the one right of freedom that I have, I've told you that before. I won't be lectured by my father on that nor by you no matter how good a friend you are to me Astro."

Astro frowned. "Then I'm pleading with you...I'm begging you as your friend to stop getting involved when those idiots are causing trouble Daichi...please! Sooner or later it'll only end in something horrible and nothing will come of that. Think of what your mom would have wanted..."

Daichi growned...the little metal and plastic kid was right and in his heart Daichi knew it wouldn't do any good to say otherwise...

"Fine...I'll...I'll try to resist the temptation." Daichi started to walk away but then turned back. "Astro? I've been thinking alot about something...the receipe for the jam? Mitsunari is right, it needs to be put in another place that's safe...I know I can trust you."

Astro pointed to himself. "You wan to give it to me?"

"Why not?" Daichi replied. "You are my friend?"

Daichi rested his hands on Astro's shoulders. "I can't trust a human to be careful...God knows my father's a crook and that Mitsunari guy's a distrusting slug. At least in you, it's fool proof."

Astro replied with a smirk. "Well...Nicky might be a Mata Hari, you'd never know."

"Slap!" Daichi slapped Astro off the head. "Never speak of your girlfriend like that even in jest! Now...do we have a deal?"

Astro nodded back. "Of course...You can trust me."

Daichi reached into his pocket and handed Astro a ZIP strip. "I've encoded it so you'll have to use the program on this to get into it. And don't be careless ok? Like giving it to your little sister, I know how much she likes to yap."

Astro smirked. "So do you."

"Riiiing!" The school period bell rang.

"See you after school. We have to meet Mitsunari to finish tying things together. You know how that makes me feel? Like pulling my teeth with a horse."

"Now why do something that dumb?" Astro replied.

**Tokugawa Industrial HQ**

**Noon**

"That far, that fast? I'm impressed." Tokugawa said as he stared out his office window. "How well he's learned."

"Indeed." Mitsunari replied. "I'm almost feeling incapable, even too deceitfull to deny him success. Sir...if I may be bold, why stop him?"

Tokugawa turned with a scowl. "Because this is not what "I" want. I don't want my son to aspire to something so...the mark of a simpleton. Presiding over a simple food creation? What success is that! Is it not the desire, no...the right of a parent to see their children exceed them! I have not worked all these years to watch my legacy roll backwards down a hill because my son dares to do something less than I wish!"

Tokugawa stopped to pick up a picture of his wife from his desk. "I loved my wife, you know the extent of my grief for her Mitusnari. But when I look at my son I see the very infections that made her weak. I will not see my son turn into a spineless, emotion driven, charity infected invalid. I will stear him to follow my desires and when I'm gone it will stear him to become the most feared and dangerous man of industry the world has ever known...that will be my monument."

Tokugawa faced Mitsunari. "I entrusted you to this purpose. I want him to know what failure is like and how crushing it can be. Most importantly...I want that weak minded, meddling robot out of the way. This "Astro" is like a tick, and like a tick I want him squashed...Don't fail me...Mitsunari."

Mitsunari bowed and walked from the office.

**After school**

**above Metro City**

Nicky was squeezing as hard as she could and screwing her eyes tightly as the weightness sensation caused her to panic. "Maybe this was a bad idea after all..."SQEEEEELLL!"

"Well you had to ask!" Astro said chuckling as he looped and rolled over and over through the sky. "Boy...if Reno finds out I'm fooling around like this, he'll be mad!"

Nicky snuggled the back of Astro's head. "As if that was a problem?"

Astro smirked as he landed on the roof of Nicky's house. "By the way?" She said slyly..."My parents are gone."

"Oh no..." Astro replied waving his hands. "I'm not risking that. The last time you said that, I almost got caught! Uh, uh...no more bush diving, I have a reputation to uphold remember?"

Nicky smiled and gave Astro a gentle kiss..."Yes...your "reputation" is important isn't it?"

He tried to leave but Nicky pulled him backwards into a hug and a lip lock...

"I...I got homework to do." Astro said as he pulled back...then went back to kissing.

"Forget it." Nicky said smirking. Then they kissed again.

"I...gotta go meet Daichi."

"Forget him too." She said giggling. "I'm more important."

Then a beeping sound came from Astro's head. "Can't ignore that." He said as he tapped his head. "Yes Inspector?"

"Are you busy?" Towashi snapped."

"Well...sort of." Astro replied, shoooshing Nicky as she giggled.

"Well get downtown as soon as you can! We have a mess on our hands!"

Astro shrugged. "Duty calls."

"I'll have the bathtub nice and hot when you're done." Nicky said seductively.

"Sure you will." Astro replied as he jumped up, waved to her and flew off towards the downtown area.

**Metro Industrial Zone**

Astro came down like a bullet and slid across the wet asphalt to a stop behind Inspector Towashi's car, narrowly colliding with Reno as he huddled with a palm computer in his hands.

"Was that a cool entry or what?" He said smiling.

"No." Reno replied as he looked over his shoulder after the ground under him shook. "You wanna hear this one?"

"Not really." Astro replied smirking. "I thought you'd have it handled by now."

"Security code's being a pain." Reno replied calmly. "It's a dockside crane bot gone loony. Too much weight and it shorted out or it decided it wasn't getting paid enough."

Astro suddenly dove for the ground and cringed as a piece of building flew over the car and crashed into a truck behind it. Reno didn't flinch...

"Oh yeah...he's just a little bit pissed off."

"You think!" Astro replied as he pushed himself up.

Inspector Towashi and Sergent Deutadi were running down the street and flew over Astro's head as another crumpled piece of wreckage flew right behind them!

"Ugh!" Towashi scrambled from his landing and snatched Astro by his hand. "What are you doing?"

"Trying not to laugh." Astro replied sarcasticly.

"Well...stop it from trashing the district!" Towashi snarled.

Astro rolled over the hood of the squad car and calmly walked towards the towering crane with his arms out. "Hey big guy! Don't you think you're taking this temper tantrum a little too extreme?"

The crane swooped up a nearby car and slammed it down onto the street but Astro deftly sidestepped the wreck with a one foot hop and stood shaking his head.

"You know, this isn't exactly the right way to complain about things?" Astro said. "Now how about we calm down and..."

"SLAM!" The crane's huge lifting arm came down with a ground shaking, concrete breaking collision on Astro's head!

"What is he doing?" Towashi could be heard screaming. "Is he trying to have tea and crumpets with this crazy thing?"

As the dust cloud stirred up by the impact cleared however, it was obvious that Astro was past the negotiation stage! He stood holding the monster arm over his head. "Some one's gotta teach you how to tickle properly!"

Astro took off! snatching the arm in his powerful grip, he flipped the crane onto it's back, ripped a power cable off a nearby string of power poles and hog tied the crane's four legs before Reno could get his watch out of his pocket!

Then he calmly walked into the crane's control cab and came back out with a power box tucked under an arm. "Hmph! Didn't even sweat."

Reno and Inspector Towashi came running up. "Did you find out what made it go nuts?" Reno asked as he stopped.

"Oops...guess I should have before I ripped this out?" Astro replied as he pointed to the power box. "Sorry Inspector."

"Well...at leats you stopped it, though probably half the city's out of power now."

Astro shook his head. "That was an out of use line. I checked it before I ripped it down." As if on cue, one of the power poles fell over. "Then again they might want to check those things for termites?"

Towashi shook his head and took Astro aside. "Would you mind explaining to me why you are allowing Daichi Tokugawa's gang to run amok in the city?"

"Huh?" Astro replied. "I'm not. Well...at least not Daichi any way. The other ones are your job, you seem to point that out to me a lot remember?"

"Well..." Towashi snorted. "If my memory serves me right, it's your responsibility to report lawbreakers? And Tokugawa's kid is no saint."

"It's also my responsibility to look after humans and Daichi's just a response to my programing Inspector. If I'm trying to keep him from trouble and tweek him right, doesn't that meet my requirement?" Astro gave the inspector a doughy smile.

"You're pushing it." Towashi snorted. "I'll let you handle that for now but don't think I'll give you forever...my patience is rather short these days."

Astro smirked. "Like your love life?"

"Watch your mouth!" Towashi snorted back. He stomped by Reno as he chuckled loudly. "And you watch yourself too you little eggheaded freak!"

Reno walked up to Astro and palm slapped him. "That was priceless."

As Reno looked over the crane and sat atop the control cab, he threw Astro a glass jar. "I want some more jam."

"What do I look like? A Safeway?" Astro snorted back as he climbed on the cab.

"How was your date?" Reno asked.

"Uh...interesting." Astro replied.

"Interesting?" Reno questioned. "Not fantastic, awesome or great...just...interesting?"

"She can cook." Astro replied. "In more than one way."

"Oh." Reno replied. "Well...guess I don't need to know."

There was a little moment of silence between them before Reno broke it. "So when's the wedding?"

"Oh shut up!" Astro snapped back.

"Giggles"..."Aren't you worried about big Tokugawa? Who knows, this crane might have been his idea. You know he despises robots right?"

Astro poked his head into the control cab as Reno was hooking up his computer to the control board. "He can bark all he wants. As long as Daichi keeps asking me to help him, his Dad can't say no."

"Well be carefull." Reno replied as he climbed out. "If you even think he's trying something stupid, call me?"

Astro gave Reno a quick salute. "Always!"


	7. Chapter 7

chapter 7

**Tokugawa Home**

**Early Evening**

"Let us be difficult shall we?" Mitsunari thought to himself as he ran through his protocol tool again without much result. "You are well versed for a punk aren't you?" He said as he typed on the lap top keyboard. Busting Daichi's password was the easy part but finding out exactly where he might have hidden the file was another problem. It soon became clear to Mitsunari that he hadn't put the jam recepie in the lap top.

Closing the lid. Mitsunari stretched himself and looked around the bedroom for a bit before making sure he'd covered his tracks. He was walking down the staircase when Daichi came walking up from the lower floor.

"I've been waiting for you Sir." Mitsunari said with a slight bow. "Your father would like some details as to your current progress and I didn't want to explain anything to him unless you agreed."

Daichi looked past Mitsunari's shoulder. "So why are you coming down from upstairs? That's where the bedrooms and private studies are."

Mitsunari countered quickly. "The line of artwork starting at the top here had me curious. Such rare pieces should be in a museum don't you think?"

Daichi snorted. "What my Father does with his stuff is his buisness. I'll meet you downstairs." Daichi watched till Mitsunari was gone before walking to his room and carefully looking over the door frame of his bedroom. His brow creased as he ran a hand across the upper right corner.

"Bastard." He thought as he saw the strand of hair he'd carefully glued between the frame and the door had been snapped.

**Doctor O'Shay's house**

**Evening**

Astro had just settled down in bed with a book propped on his lap and music softly rolling around in his brain when Uran came in and sat at his study desk.

"I heard you have a girlfriend! Congratulations!" She said with snippy giddiness.

Astro pursed his lips. "Don't you have something better to do? Like go to bed?"

"Don't be a wet blanket big bother?" Uran said as she slipped to the side of the bed with a quizitive face. "What's she like?"

"And who told you?" Astro asked.

"Guess?"

"Reno...ugh..." Astro did a face palm. "Well if you have to know, she's...very nice."

"Aaaand?" Uran pressed.

"I'm not going to give you details!" Astro snorted. "I know by tomorrow the whole school will be a rumor mill."

Uran smiled at him. "Did you kiss? What's it like? I need to know in case I meet a wonderful boy in the future."

Astro lightly pushed on her head. "The only thing in the future you'll kiss is a pillow now go to bed?"

"I bet you still need work." Uran pouted.

"Get going!" Astro demanded. "Ugh...I'll never hear the end of it."

He tried to settle down again only to be disturbed by a beeping noise in his head. "Yes?" Astro asked.

"Looks like we have an issue." Daichi replied. "I can't speak too loudly, I'm at a Catillion with my father."

"Issue?" Astro asked. "Is it serious?"

Daichi excused himself and walked into a bathroom. "Serious...let's just say you need to watch your back from now on and cover me."

Astro brooded. "Mitsunari?"

" How perceptive." Daichi returned. "I caught him rummaging through my bedroom...and my laptop."

"Let's bust him." Astro snorted. "He's after the recepie I bet."

"Not yet." Daichi replied. "It would be too soon. I know what's going through your head though."

"Well it's a little obvious." Astro replied snorting. "Your Dad doesn't like me and he sure doesn't like being upstaged by anyone."

Daichi rubbed his hair. "That's something I have to deal with, not you. I'll worry about Mitsunari's intentions."

Astro sat tapping his fingers on the book he was reading. "Are you going out tonight?"

"Just a late night in Hamachia." Daichi replied. "It's college race night and I want to see some of the custom crotch rockets racing. Don't worry ok, no crazy stuff...I promise."

Astro pursed his lips. "Heard that one before."

"Honest." Daichi replied. "Tomorrow is our final consolidation conference before we go into production remember? You think I'm gonna miss that?"

Astro groaned. "You need plenty of sleep. Which, may I remind you, you lack?"

"Astro..." Daichi warned back. "I promise...no funny stuff."

As Daichi clicked off, Astro slipped from his bed and pulled some clothes from his dresser. "He knows what I'll do so why be a disappointment?" The boy bot said as he laid the clothes out and looked at the clock. "Three hours...ok...I have a little time at least."

Astro slipped back onto his bed and dozed off.

**Route 16**

**Hamachia City**

**1am**

Astro peaked up over the low wall of a nearby parking building to look at the crowd gathered below along the highway that ran through Hamachia. "Don't see him yet and I've been here a half an hour now..." He thought to himself as he kept scanning. Finally at the corner of an intersection he saw Daichi standing with a bunch of his biker pals cheering as two bikers screamed by them on their way down the highway. "That's a relief. He's keeping his word." Astro thought as he walked down the ramp way of the parking garage and onto the streets. "Why humans have a crazy love of riding things without much protection is beyond me. At least if I bounce off the pavement, all I get is ripped up synthetic skin. But humans seem to enjoy the risk…even more silly is how they brag about the injuries."

Astro laughed a little. "They get stranger and stranger every minute." He decided that he didn't want Daichi to know he was being watched, instead Astro found a place across the street. He quickly climbed up an elm tree and sat horse stride on one of the branches. Adjusting his eyes to zoom and tuning his hearing, he carefully watched Daichi as he stood pointing out the racing bikes as they flew by.

"Now that's a good crotch rocket!" Daichi said to one of his co-horts. "Did you hear the engine? The way it kept the power tune steady as it came by?"

The younger looking girl, obviously a new recruit for the gang or perhaps just an interested bystander. Leaned on Daichi and nodded in her agreement. "Hey! Let's go get something to eat?" She asked Daichi.

"Sure…there's a Boston's doughnut shop down the street. I could use a cup of coffee." Daichi replied as he wrapped an arm around the girl and walked with her.

Astro didn't have to move. He climbed higher into the tree and kept his eyes zoomed on Daichi even as he stopped short of the store to give the girl a kiss…then a little more that caused Astro to shake his head. "I…should respect him a little bit." The boy bot said with a smile as he pulled his zoom back and shut off his super hearing.

Daichi told her how beautiful she was and gave her another gentle kiss on the lips when suddenly something sharp and pointed brushed against his neck. "Well look what I have here!" The girl snorted. "Mister dumb, hot and stupid! We've been waiting to get our hands on one of you jerks."

"Oh man…no second base?" Daichi snorted. He was going to wreck this girl's night…till her pals showed up and jumped his back!

"I hope you didn't think you would just skip out rich boy!" The taller of the three goons snorted as he started dragging Daichi into the alley next to the store. "I'm going to enjoy beating your scrawny hide to a pulp."

Daichi tried to reach for the small steel pipe he carried in his back pocket but felt it ripped from him by the girl. "Did you think we were that stupid? Oh yeah, this punk defiantly needs a total makeover." She was about to stick her blade into Daichi's face when a coffee can went whooshing past her nose.

"You know? Knives really don't improve a girl's looks at all?" Astro said as he sat smiling on the wall next to the store. "If I didn't know better? You guys were in the process of committing a felony. Don't you have better things to do?"

One of the gang slipped a pair of brass knuckles on his hand. "Look here kid. First of all you should be in bed and second of all little kids shouldn't be sticking their noses into things they can't handle."

Astro slipped off the wall. "Gee...I kinda thought I was well known but I guess there's a few cavemen left in the human species. I'll tell you what? You let him go and I'll let you go...fair enough?"

"Little bastard." The big biker said as he took a swing! Astro caught him by his wrist, whipped him over his head and pitched him into a dumpster!

"You shouldn't say naughty words in front of little kids!" Astro said snarling as he turned on the other two guys and the girl holding Daichi. "I'll repeat...you let him go and I'll let you guys go...otherwise space camp is open for business."

The girl smirked. "Oh so it is huh?" Before Astro could jump, she plunged her knife deep into Daichi's chest!

And there they went! Her other two co-horts joined their companion in the dumpster and the girl found herself hogtied with the steel pipe Daichi had been carrying! Astro jumped back to Daichi as he sagged against the wall of the store.

"You made good time." He said as he pulled the knife out.

"Agh!" Astro paniced ad threw a hand to Daichi's chest. "Are you crazy! You should have left...it...in?"

Daichi smirked as he opened his biker jacket and patted the kevilar plates under a bullet proof vest. "Hehehe...Kevlar."

"YOU CREEP!" Astro snapped. "You had me arcing and sparking for nothing!"

"You didn't think I'd just go out without some protection did you?" Daichi said as he knelt down to glance at the struggling girl. "Let her go?"

"She just stabbed you and you want me to let her go?" Astro said pursing his lips.

"I think she's learned her lesson." Daichi replied as he waved a finger. Astro pulled the steel pipe off and stood back as the girl got to her feet.

"I should have known you'd have someone on your back." She said snorting. "You can't have them around all the time."

Astro slipped between the two. "You could join your pals in that dumpster if you want?"

"Call off your attack mutt?" She asked Daichi.

"Astro? I'm trying to do some difficult negotiating, would you mind?" Daichi said as he gingerly pulled Astro back.

"You're nuts?" Astro said smirking. "Better watch her fingers, she might rip your tongue out if you try kissing her again."

Daichi snorted back. "Sit Ubu! Robots are so overprotective. Look...I never got your name did I?"

The girl frowned back. "Naomi...and you can drop the nice act...I hate you."

"And you're not walking away and spitting at me why?" Daichi asked.

"Who says I have too?" Naomi huffed back. "Look you jerk! Just because you're all big and bad with a rich father, don't think I'm going to get on my knees and grovel for...And what are you looking at tin can?"

Astro smiled. "Oh nothing...just that you're kinda heating up...I can see the warmth in your cheeks, very colorful."

"Why you!" Naomi went to punch Astro but Daichi caught her.

"Naaat a good idea." He said as he held her hand. "Look...why don't we just sit down, you and me, and work this little problem between our gangs in a calm mannor huh? My treat."

Naomi snorted. "You still suck and you're still the enemy got it!"

Daichi looked back at Astro and gave him a thumb.

Astro looked at him like he was a raving loon.

"Do me a favor Astro? Go get my bike?" Daichi asked.

"Yeah...and I'll call a doctor too...for your head!" Astro snorted as Daichi and Naomi walked off.

**Tokugawa Industrial HQ**

**Morning**

Astro sat patiently in the reception room, the only place he

was allowed because of big Tokugawa's inflamed distrust of

robots, looking between the time and the morning cartoons as

they rolled across his eyes. Unlike Daichi, Astro didn't suffer

drag from lack of sleep so he stood all chipper and happy while

Daichi trudged through the front door with a coffee in his hand.

"Morning Miss Ediko." Daichi said with a light wave.

"I hope you're not going to try and get through the meeting

like this!" Astro said as he walked beside Daichi. "How long

did you stay up?"

"I got an hour's sleep, I'm fine." Daichi replied...with a devilish

smile. "She's still in my bed."

"Hey!" Astro snapped.

"Will you grow up." Daichi replied. "It was that or...public

fountain." Daichi snickered. "I do have a certain draw with

girls you know."

Astro threw his hands over his ears. "I don't wanna hear that!"

Daichi tapped his head. "Well...you and Nicky were certainly

quiet all night at her house."

"Gnah! We were just talking...and a few kisses...nothing more."

Daichi pried closer. "Are you sure? You know I can always

find out? It's not that hard."

Astro snorted. "You try and I will so not help you do anything! And...last night was pretty dumb, she could have

gotten you in trouble again and I wouldn't be able to protect

you!"

"No one said you couldn't watch from my bedroom window

Astro."

"Grrrrr...enough already!" Astro fussed. "I'm missing school

today so let's get this done."

They entered the small conference room where the representitives of several companies sat waiting for them. Daichi took a seat at the head of the table while Astro sat a little ways behind him, this was after all Daichi's show.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I know it's taken longer than most of you expected but I believe in being deliberately slow and cautious, unlike my father. My little friend Astro here has been helping me with the final contract agreement, I believe you will all find it exceptionaly fair."

"Of course...there is the question of the recepie itself. For those of you who's companies will be involved in the manufacture process, I will only release the recepie to you after a short trial session to ensure you have proceedures in place to defend against corperate espionage. I am also awaiting a reply on the patent for the recepie and until then I will be entrusting it to only one other source than myself. Astro back here will be at your disposal to help with the first month's processing."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Astro bowed slightly. "It shouldn't be difficult but Daichi does have solid reasons for doing it like this."

Suddenly...Astro felt a strong vibation roll under his feet. He looked around cautiously before walking to the edge of Daichi's chair...

"I gotta go to the bathroom." Astro said quietly.

"You what?" Daichi replied smirking.

"I have to use the bathroom...can I go?" Astro demanded as he butted Daichi behind the back as if to say..."Don't make a big deal about it but something's not right."

"Oh?...sorry." Daichi said as he waved. "Excuse me everyone...Astro has to use the bathroom for a moment. We'll go over the specifics of the contract till he comes back."

Astro walked out of the conference room still feeling the rolling motion under his feet. "Whatever's causing this, it's big. I didn't see anyone in the room acting like they have something in mind but you never know." He said to himself as he started looking out windows before ducking into the bathroom and pulling open the single window at the other end…

"Foomp….foomp….foomp!" The sound bounced around in his brain as Astro climbed out through the window and sat for a moment on the sill. "I've been keeping my ears open all morning and this isn't anything normal to this place, that's for sure."

Scratching his head, Astro pushed himself off the window, ignited his rocket legs and flew up to the roof of the building. He didn't have long to confirm what the noise was as he saw a large camouflaged robot stomp through the front gate, barely missing the guards as they scurried out of its for safety!

"Oh great! Some one really needs to keep these military machines on a better leash." Astro snorted as he watched the battle bot kick up a truck and launch it over his head! "Sorry pal." Astro snorted. "I'm not in the mood for soccer right now."

Daichi's voice came up over Astro's radio. "What's going on? I'm out of excuses?"

Astro snickered. "Well…..it's kind of an out of control combat bot and he's kinda upset and well he's…..YIPE!"

Daichi heard a crash and felt the room shake. "Ladies and Gentlemen? If you'll calmly walk to the door I will…"

The next crash sent the occupants into fill panic flight, leaving Daichi standing at the head of the room table with a blank look on his face. "Oh kay….that'll do just fine."

Outside, Astro crashed through the windows of a parked car and slammed against a wall! He barely had enough time to roll out of the way as a giant steel fist crashed past him and struggled to pull itself free from the mess it caused. "Ugh…something about me and walls always meeting like this, I gotta have building love or something!"…..Astro jumped just as the other fist flew under his feet! "You seriously need an anger management class!" He screamed as he flipped upside-down, snatched one of the military bot's arms and judo flipped it away from the building and onto a…..

"**KABOOM!"**

"Propane tank….oh that's gotta smart!" Astro said jokingly as he watched the military bot quickly recover out of the fireball. "I guess it didn't!"

Daichi was running himself, but towards the front door of the building he was in until Astro came flying through the front panes of glass atop the entrance, over his head and crashed into the reception desk behind him!

"You alright?" Daichi screamed as he ran up to help Astro stumble from the splintered desk.

"You're help is ok…but I think you should have been running out the back door by now." Astro said as he pushed Daichi backwards behind him.

"Where'd this thing come from?" Daichi asked as the military bot crashed into the large reception foyer in front of him and leveled an arm cannon.

"Right now, who cares!" Astro yelled as he grabbed Daichi by his suit coat and rocketed out of the foyer and down a hallway as a pair of small missiles exploded behind them! "I didn't bother asking for an address!"

"You're getting slower, you know that? I thought you'd have it's butt kicked by now at least!" Daichi yelled as Astro dropped him on his butt in front of the back exit.

"Shut up and get out of here? And don't try some dumb heroics, that's a job for idiots like me!" Astro jumped up and flew back down the hall towards the rampaging machine. "Ok pal…you want to play some pinball?"

Astro flew into the forum, dodged a swinging arm, back flipped over the military bot and leveled his arm cannon! "Just call me The Flipper!"

"HAWOOOM!"

The blast sent the armored robot flying back out of the Foyer's front entrance and skidding to a crashing stop against a nearby wall as Astro came running up behind it! "He snatches the ball from the foul line!" Astro yelled as he grabbed the bot up by an arm and threw it into the air! "He jumps for the skyhook!" Astro flew up and grabbed the bot by a leg as it stopped to a hover. "SLAM DUNK!"

Daichi was just coming out from a corner when the shockwave and wind from the ground impact threw him off his feet! "UGH!...HEY! TAKE HIM OUTSIDE THE FACTORY!"

Astro saw Daichi screaming at him and shrugged. "Like he's going to listen to me if I ask him nicely?"

"My Dad's going to totally kill you! You're doing more damage than that…." Daichi suddenly dove out of sight as the military bot recovered, caught Astro with a swatting hand and plowed him into the ground!

The bot held Astro tight in his hand, trying to crush him with all the hydraulic power it could force out of its straining engines. "Ugh!...I'm done fooling around!" Astro snapped as he struggled. Suddenly his mouth gapped open and his face shook as a surge of power raced through his body and paralyzed his computer brain…

Daichi came around the corner again to see in horror as the armoed bot threw Astro on the ground and stomped on him, trying to pound him into the broken concrete…

"GET OFF OF HIM!" Daichi screamed as he pulled a pistol from his suit coat and unloaded it in a pitiful attempt to get the machine to stop…"I SAID!..." He threw the empty weapon in a rage…

"KABOOOM!"

And stood in shock as an explosion tore the machine apart! Daichi looked at his hands and smirked. "I knew that would happen."

Daichi didn't notice Mitsunari was behind him till he stood next to him with the empty anti-tank launcher in his hands. "What the? Where did you get that?" He asked Mitsunari as he tossed the tube aside.

"This is your father's factory Sir? I'm surprised you didn't know where he keeps these things."

Daichi snorted as he walked towards where Astro was laying. "I hang around with biker gangs, there's your answer." He nervously knelt next to the small robot, surprised that he took so much punishment.

"Astro?" Daichi asked as he rubbed Astro's chest. "Come on Astro…tell me you're alright."

After a few minutes of dread silence, Astro opened his eyes. "This being a floor matt's real old. So where's the troublemaker?"

Daichi pointed behind him. "Rocket Launcher. By the way, how's your allowance?"

Astro sat up and looked at all the mess around him. "Not enough to cover all this. So much for today's meeting I guess huh?"

Just then, the screams of a very angry Tokugawa Senior could be heard marching around the complex. "Where is he? Where's Daichi! Where's that little plastic menace of his! I'll have their heads! Daichi! Daichi you better be in front of me in five seconds or so help you…."

Astro cringed. "Ugh…may…beeeee…..I'd better go?"

"How brave of you." Daichi snorted back. "Though not a bad idea about now." Daichi said as he hand butted Astro till the boy bot flew away.

"YOU!" Tokugawa snarled as he stomped up to his son. "YOU….You better have a good explanation for this! I'm going to file charges! I'll file a restraining order! I'll have the heads of the Ministry of Science for this….this…."

Daichi smiled back. "Father? About these anti-tank missiles you have so conveniently stock piled here? Isn't that a violation of the national arms registry act? I wonder how the press would handle this?"

Tokugawa waved a finger in his son's face, then quietly left him standing by himself. He always knew how to get his way.


	9. Chapter 9

**Ministry of Science**

**11am**

Astro twitched a little from the prodding at his head. "Find anything yet or are you just laughing?"

"Well…as usual you got more dents and dinks on your outer armor. You're supposed to avoid being a chew toy, which seems hard for you to understand." Reno said as he replaced Astro's hair piece. "Oh yeah, Nicky called me this time? She's wondering about your next date."

Astro sat up. "I made plans, told her I'd have a date set."

"Which…let me remind you…you broke?" Reni said as he pushed a finger into Astro's nose.

"You know it's not like I can control the climate or anything? One day it's Skunk, next it's some mad scientist with a grudge…it's not like I can just drop some emergency and go hopping off to a movie or something."

"Well you better learn how to handle the expense of making up to a girl and from what I can see? You're going to be paying her back for a few years. Reno said as he started putting his tools away. "By the way? Parts of your brain bucket were resetting themselves, what exactly happened in that fight?"

Astro scratched his head. "Well….I got zapped pretty good by that thing. I guess it was trying to cause a short, only thing I got was a headache and a ring in my ears."

"Let me do another test, just to make sure there's no damage we didn't know about." Reno said as he pushed Astro to lie back on the bed. "So how's things with Daichi Tokugawa and his Mom's jam?"

"Well it was the last meeting he was going to hold before allowing production. That crazy armor bot just showed up out of dumb luck, the military said it got loose from a new trainee driver. Smart huh? Giving a new guy a bot with weapons?"

Reno snorted. "And you believe that? A little too close to being suspicious don't you think?"

"I guess." Astro replied. "But the explanations fit."

Reno smirked. "I've got to teach you how to be less trusting. You shouldn't accept explanations so simply."

A knock on the door stopped Reno's work and as he opened it, Nicky pushed past him and grabbed Astro up in a vice grip hug!

"Eeesh! That's…..a little…..tight." Astro said as his eyes looked like they'd pop from his head.

"Are you ok? You're not damaged are you?" Nicky fretted.

"Reno's been using it as an excuse to brutally torture me." Astro said snorting. "I'm fine."

"I'll be the judge of fine right now." Reno said as he started attaching electrical wires to Astro's head. "This scan will take a couple minutes then you two can go find a hotel to frog around in ok?"

Nicky smacked him on the arm. "Keep it to yourself?"

It wasn't a minute into the scan when Reno gave Astro a contorted face. "Hey? I think I found something you might not like."

**Tokugawa Industries HQ**

**12:30pm**

"Just tell them we'll meet here tomorrow." Daichi told Mitsunari as they walked out of a conference room and down towards the nearby lunch room.

Daichi was just about to open the door when Astro came around a corner and almost pulled him of his feet and into a quick trot. "What the? Hey!" Daichi protested as he pulled against Astro's grip. "Will you stop? Astro, what's…"

Astro found an empty office, pushed Daichi inside and looked out into the hallway to see if Mitsunari was following them before he closed the door behind him.

"Ok…I'm lost, why the heck did you just drag me through the building?" Daichi complained as Astro rubbed his head.

"I think we may have a little problem."

"Ok…define little?" Daichi asked.

Astro played with his lips. "I just had a diagnostic done after that little fight I had with that armor bot and well…there's a few "hiccups" in my computer brain."

Daichi knelt down and shook his head. "You have to be more clear and blunt about things Astro…what hiccups?"

"Uh…blank spaces in my saved memory." Astro said worryingly. "As if…my mind was…probed?"

Daichi shot up like a rocket. "Copied?"

Astro shook his hands franticly. "Don't go crazy yet! It could be nothing at all…I just wanted you to know…"

Daichi ran his hands through his hair. "Don't go?...argh! Do you know what that could mean? Someone could have gotten the recipe for the jam! I haven't even finished the documents for the legal copyright yet!"

Astro watched as Daichi sank in a chair. "I said relax ok? It's not like someone's going to have an easy time getting to it unless they have a good cracking program, my brain's got a hundred different ciphering programs."

Daichi snorted. "It only takes a good hacker one time Astro! Are you absolutely sure nothing was copied?"

"Well if I was, I wouldn't have said anything." Astro replied frowning. "You should get that paperwork in as soon as you can though, I can help you finish it."

Daichi looked up and suddenly got out of his chair and started storming for the door. "Huh?" Astro reacted as he chased him. "What are you doing?"

"Going to see my father, what else?" Daichi replied as he walked towards an elevator.

"Daichi? You're not going to do something crazy?..Wait a second!" Astro jumped in front and blocked the elevator. "You can't just start pointing fingers and acting stupid!"

"Stupid? All I'm going to do is ask my father if he tried to hack your brain…which is exactly what I'd expect from him…that's all. Heck I may even bust a chair over his…"

Astro pushed Daichi back. "Please don't make me hog tie you and carry you out of here like a hobo sack? You have nothing to go on and worse your Dad could cut you off from doing anything. You're still legally under his boot remember?"

Daichi thought for a moment. "Guess you're right."

Astro wrapped his hands around Daichi's arms and spun him around. "Down to your office, finish those papers and let me worry about this ok? And don't try climbing up the side of the building?"

Daichi stood at his office door and looked back smirking. "You have to see that girlfriend of yours sometime."

"Get in there and type dufus!" Astro said as he pushed Daichi and shut the door behind him.

"tap" Astro patted his head till he got Reno's cell phone ring tone. "Reno? I need some help."

"Yeah." Reno replied. "I know. Unfortunately I couldn't do nothing about that armor bot. One thing? It's the military's. The other? That Tank buster rocket hit right where the CPU was and it's toast."

Astro brooded. "Is it possible that my own anti-tamper programming could have copied the sender or hacker's information? That's if I got hacked to start with."

"To find all that? I'd have to "put you to bed" for a weeks worth of testing. You….don't have a week do you?"

Astro leaned against a window. "Uh uh…"

"There's one more place we can try." Reno said. "Of course it sort of involves…breaking the law."

"Sort of?" Astro replied smirking. "How can I "sort of" break any law?"

"Well…." Reno replied. "Each military robot for the Metro City division is tied to Central Command Headquarters in Kushimi-cho, North Metro. Let's just say that through some fortunate stroke of luck…you….were kinda asked to play back-up hard drive and through some sly finger of fate you just happened to come across a file that you wanted to see information on but…is kinda classed as sensitive….see where I'm getting?"

Astro started sucking a finger. "Yeeeeahhhh…shaddy sort of legal/illegal. But if it's to safeguard a human's life? It's not so illegal."

"Gee…you're a smart little toaster." Reno said giggling.

"And you can fix this up?" Astro asked.

"Just forget about it for now." Reno replied. "At least a few hours or so."

"You're so great Reno." Astro said smiling.

"Don't mention it. But you will owe me a pizza."

Astro heard the phone click as he walked back to the office where he left Daichi. "You are working on that document right?" He asked as he poked his head in.

"Yes." Daichi replied. "Don't tell me you don't think my father isn't capable of anything sneaky?"

"That's beside the point." Astro replied as he pulled himself up on the desk beside Daichi. "My job is to keep you from being dumb, which isn't easy." Astro sat licking his lips. "And yes…I don't trust your Dad. But confronting him won't work."

Daichi patted his hands on the desk. "You have a plan?"

"You don't need to know." Astro replied smiling. "Just get that document finished. Oh….and forget Mitsunari, I'll take it to the patent office myself."

**Ministry of Science**

**2:00 pm**

"Beeeep…..beeeep…beep…." "Ministry of Science, Director O'Shay speaking."

"Good….I'm glad I caught you at work Doctor, This is General Red at the defense department."

"How may I help you General? And how's your daughter today?"

"She's doing well but here we're not. Our so called impenetrable, anti-tamper, hacker blocking software? Well…it's not so anti anything after all."

Doctor O'Shay shook his head. "Hackers always stay one step ahead of any defense measure General."

"This is a serious situation O'Shay, we're on the verge of losing precious data because of this vandalizing freak. We need a storage system of great capacity to save all our files until we can clean and reboot the central computer. So in thinking I decided to ask you about Astro."

O'Shay sat rubbing his hair. "You want Astro to be a storage unit? How long would this take General? We really can't afford to tie Astro up like this."

"Two hours at the max, I promise you Doctor. There's no one else I can trust with so much sensitive data."

What the two men didn't know or see was the 13 year old boy deviously smirking over the lap top in his apartment at the ministry. "Hey….you should be getting a call probably in about five minutes." He said into a head microphone.

"You're sure you won't get yourself in trouble over this?" Astro answered back. "I won't be there right away though, I'm waiting on Daichi to finish a few important papers and then I have to take them to the legal office at City Hall."

Reno huffed. "Piece of cake! I can't believe they fell for so simple a program as this anyway, a 6-year old could block it! Our tax dollars at work like always."

"There's the Doctor now Reno. He's calling me." Astro said as he landed in front of City Hall. "Should I kinda complain so it's not obvious?"

"Don't worry about it." Reno replied as he reached for a cup of tea. "And by the way? I sort of tipped somebody off that you'd be at City Hall."

"What?" Astro replied as he walked in through the front door and got punched on by a giggling girl. "Hey! I was going to call her later on!"

"Won't do." Reno replied. "Nicky was bugging me all morning. She thinks you've been dodging her."

Nicky nodded with a smirk. "Yeh…what about our follow up date? Any more excuses?"

"I've been kinda tied up. You know how it is." Astro said with a shrug.

Nicky wasn't having any of that. She suddenly kissed him…much to the giggles of passers by who laughed at Astro's apparent shock. "Mmmah! Uh…can't we do this in private?" He asked as they walked holding hands.

"What's in the folder?" Nicky asked.

"Some important papers I have to take to the legal clerk. And…I think tonight's out. The….military needs me to play storage drive for a few hours."

Nicky pulled Astro to a stop. "It's a little unfair don't you think? I mean you have a life too besides playing everyone's emergency bell hop."

"Bell hop? Now that's being harsh don't you think? It's a duty of us robots to be of service when we're asked. Or should I bring up the 3 times in the last few days where you're doing Red Cross stuff?"

"But it's not all the time!" Nicky replied. "Might it worry you if I just might have another boy bot in mind?"

"Hmmmm….then dinner tonight's kinda out huh?" Astro replied with a smile as he walked to the clerk's office.

"Dinner? Where?" Nicky asked.

"The Tap N Root restaurant." Astro said smiling. "Then another place all to ourselves but since you got another boy in mind?...oh well…"

Nicky pulled him to her again and gave him another long kiss. "Blackmailing slug."

"I….did mention I was a genius right?" Astro said giggling before Nicky thumped him off the head.

"You renig on this one and I will so kill you." Nicky said smirking.

"Take a number." Astro replied as he waved bye to her. "8pm! I'll pick you up at your place!"

**Headquarters Metro City Defense Division**

**4pm**

Astro walked up to the front desk and waited for General Red to appear from a security door behind it. "You called?" Astro asked with a smile.

"I'm sure the good Doctor filled you in on what we need?" The general said as he walked Astro through the door and down the hallway. "It shouldn't be more than two hours at best."

"I hope so. I have a date at 8 tonight and if I stand her up again she'll have my head." For a joke, Astro grabbed his head and pulled it up off his neck.

"Would you please?" The General said as he waved Astro through a door. "That freaks me out."

Astro stopped and pursed his lips. "This isn't the computer room. Looks more like a lounge."

"Well we modified things a bit so you'd be comfortable. I heard how they hook you up to this crazy looking wall when they download and upload into your brain. I didn't know if you'd enjoy being hooked up to another "torture rack."

Astro took a seat in the lounge chair. "This is nice of you. So what should I do?"

General Red snatched a USB cable and gave it to Astro. "Just hook up and take a break…watch television or go to sleep. I trust you understand the nature of security right? No peaking, no surfing, no Tweeting during the process?"

Astro nodded. "Of course. I'll be very careful." He said as he slipped onto the soft lounge chair and hooked up the USB cable to his chest panel. The very careful comment of course was a white lie. Astro already knew what he wanted to look at and the scan would only take a microsecond, faster than any surveillance program could detect the intrusion. He sat with his eyes closed, a radio station attuned in his internal speakers, his hands patting the arm rests as the streams of data flowed into his processor.

It was an hour later when the right stream triggered his snap shot gathering program and fell harmlessly into an encrypted file. "There we go." Astro said to himself as he allowed the remainder of the time to play out till General Red walked back into the room.

"Enjoyed your nap?" He asked as he unhooked Astro.

"Yeah..that was trouble free." Astro replied as he got up and shook the general's hand. "So no problems clearing your system?"

"Oh it was bothersome enough, trust me." The General replied as they walked out of the building. "I must commend you with how you handled that run-a-way armor bot this morning."

Astro stopped. "Do you have any idea what happened? I thought those weapons were under tight control?"

"Trust me we're all over it right now. There's evidence of tampering though we don't know if it was external or local in nature. But we'll find out sooner or later at any rate. We've taken precautions to prevent a repeat performance. I wouldn't want to bother you further would I?"

"Unless you like torturing me." Astro replied smiling. "Glad I could help you though Sir."

Astro took off while dialing Daichi on his radio. "I have the documents in. They say it'll take a day or two to process."

"But it'll protect the copyright?" Daichi asked.

"You know how things work." Astro replied. "Typos, questions, all the dumb things that can happen with legal documents. But I can't see why it won't."

Daichi groaned. "I'd feel better if you could learn to lie."

As Astro flew towards the Ministry of Science, he checked the time and pursed his lips. "I got a date tonight with Nicky, can you do something for me?"

"Shoot." Daichi replied.

"Find out anything you can on that Mitsunari guy?" Astro asked.

"I already have and trust me, he's a snake." Daichi said snorting.

"Well I have to see my friend Reno about something else but you can tell me when I call you later." Astro said as he landed on Reno's window sill. "And don't do anything?"

Daichi replied smirking. "How about I throw a few stink bombs in his car?"

"I said….nothing. Have some patience will you?" Astro said as he slipped through the window. "I'll call later."

Reno was working at his electronics bench as Astro walked up. "I got it."

"Wasn't hard was it?" Reno asked as he passed Astro a USB cable.

"Not as long as they can't figure out who did the hacking." Astro replied as he connected himself to Reno's lap top. "So we should be able to get a location from this?"

"Hopefully…if the guy on the other end of the input stream didn't work hard enough to cloak his location." Reno said as he typed on his lap top and worked on the data stream Astro was sending. "The Tap Rock huh?"

"What?" Astro asked. "She told you?"

"She's probably told half the city about now. Insurance so you don't try welching out of it." Reno snickered. "So what did you two do at her house?"

Astro pursed his lips. "That's privileged information."

" I could hack you?" Reno snickered.

" I could turn your lab into a moonscape?" Astro replied smiling.

Reno huffed as he continued to tap through the windows on his computer. "I've isolated the traces from where the orders were coming from though…it's gonna take a little time to give you a location."

"I knew you could do it." Astro said as he shoved his hand into a chip bag and munched.

"Hey! That's my snacks!" Reno snorted as he tore the bag away.

"Gee…growl!" Astro replied as he got up and walked around the apartment. "What do you give a girl on a second date?"

"A ring." Reno snickered.

"Shut up. I'm serious." Astro replied giggling. "I have to give her something besides dinner right? What does human behavior demand?"


	10. Chapter 10

"Shut up. I'm serious." Astro replied giggling. "I have to give her something besides dinner right? What does human behavior demand?"

Reno scratched his head. "Well…Abby liked perfume but I really don't think there's a regulated gift for a second date actually. You could get her one of those heart to heart lockets or a new dress."

Astro played with his lips. "A new dress? She might like that…or…..or a new baseball glove? The one she has now is gross looking."

Reno shrugged. "Be spontaneous and shocking, just go blind as a bat and get something unexpected."

"And that would be a good thing?" Astro asked.

"Trust me. Sometimes a surprise gift can give good results…like an extra long kiss….or another visit to her house…"wink wink."

Astro smiled. "Oh?...ok…I'll try the secret gift idea then." Astro waved goodbye as he walked towards the lab door. "Call me when you get those results?"

"I'll try not to bother you tonight at diner unless it's really urgent to act quickly." Reno replied as he went back to looking at his computer screen.

**Korando's restaurant**

**6pm**

Astro stood by the door pulling on his coat and playing with the draw strings on his hood to pass the time, which started to feel like forever as he looked for Nicky. Finally he saw her hop down from a passing bus.

"Sorry!" She said as she walked up. "Practice went longer than we thought."

"That's….." Astro didn't finish what he was saying since now he was trapped in a passionate kiss…"Eeeeep! Sigh…I'm always getting warm when she does this." He thought happily, not wanting to let her catch a breath…

As she pulled back, Nicky tickled Astro's nose. "Guess what?"

"Your parents are gonna be out again?" Astro replied with some hope.

"I made Babe Ruth silly." Nicky said as she looked down at the box Astro was holding. "For me?"

"I…wouldn't open it out here." Astro said as he lightly pushed the box against Nicky's chest. "Hopefully you won't smack me."

"You're being bold!" She said smiling. "How very un-natural of you."

Astro took her by the hand and led her into the restaurant. "I'm sorry I haven't been seeing you more often Nicky…things are kinda busy."

Nicky took her seat and started opening the gift to Astro's shock. "Wait! I said not here!"

"Oh come on you prune." Nicky said smirking as she lifted the cover and sat blank faced for a second. Astro looked like he was ready to run out the door when the waiter caught a glimpse of what Nicky was holding.

"Mmmm…." She said with a devilish look. "That's what you think of me?"

"I…I was told to be shocking…spontaneous…it's Reno's fault!" Astro gasped as Nicky held up one of the items. Astro was turning beat red with embarrassment.

"I love them!" Nicky suddenly said with a bright face and a cute giggling squeal. "Eeeeeee….you are such a hotie!"

"I'm dead." Astro said moanfully. "This will be all over the city….I am so dead."

"Oh come on!" Nicky said as she reached for a hand. "Will you stop…you buy me some cute panties and you think the world just blew up."

"Well….." Astro said as he rubbed his lips. "Now I feel all dirty and perverted, I shouldn't have…"

Nicky warmly smiled as she reached over the table and gently kissed Astro again. "Oh shut up before you get yourself deeper in trouble will you?"

As the dinner progressed, Astro felt more at ease. He sat smiling as Nicky ran her hands through one of the "gifts"

"Silk? This one must have been expensive." She said as she put it back into the box. "So is this the big budget kiss and make up gift for not seeing me so often? And why are you spending so much time with that Tokugawa punk any way?"

Astro sat back with his hands behind his head. "Well…you're a robot, don't you feel the calling too?"

"Calling?" Nicky replied.

"Yeah." Astro said proudly. "As robots we have the responsibility to take care of humans and I wanted to find one human to really give me a challenge, some one who's right on the edge of going the wrong way forever. I wanna pull em back from the abyss and turn his life around. It's…

Well it feels great!"

Nicky smiled and shook her head. "Always with your brain in the clouds. Can you take a break from saving the world tonight though? Or are you going to rush off and leave me with the check?"

Astro's face doe'd and his eyes fluttered. "I think Daichi can handle himself tonight…why?"

"Because….my parents really aren't home again." Nicky replied.

Astro played with his fingers. "You're…..sure?"

"Absolutely." Nicky said as she reached across the table and gave him a gentle kiss.

**7pm**

**Tokugawa Industrial HQ**

Higashi Saturino nervously stood by a water cooler in the darkened hallway. "Daichi?" He whispered nervously. "Man…busting into your old man's office?"

"I'm not "busting" into anything." Daichi replied as he sat at his fathers desk. "I can do whatever I want remember? It's only going to take ten minutes or so."

"But if they see our bikes outside we'll be royally screwed! I'm sure your old man didn't want you messing around with his stuff!"

Daichi poked his head out through the dorr. "Higashi, so help me if you book on me I'll turn everything on and really screw you now just keep watch."

Daichi returned to his father's desk and worked over his computer. Cracking the password was so easy, did he really think Daichi didn't have good ears when he was younger?

"KittyCuddles" "How sweet. The only sweet thing about my Dad was what he called mom." Daichi said to himself as he ran from file to file and transferred some of them to a zip drive. "Who is it Father? Who are you trying to screw me with this time?"

As he searched, Daichi replayed over and over those other times when he tried to do something on his own, like art. He had a gift for it, especially painting. He still had the glowing report written by his primary teacher, his father had tossed or ripped up everything else in his pursuit to mold his young son in his image…"A keen eye, great dexterity, wondrous talent!" She wrote about him. He pleased his mother so much with his artwork, her reaction, her smiled brought Daichi abundant joy. To his father it brought only discomfort. "Art is the medium of losers, drifters and homosexuals. Not in my family!"

Daichi cursed as he finished his probing and pocketed his zip drive. "Not this time Father, I swear I'll discover your conspiracy and make you rue this time. After I'm done you'll never mess up my dreams agin."

**9pm**

**Nicky's House**

Was this perfect? Astro searched his memory files to see if the situation was aligned with how a "date" would go. Another warm kiss on the lips ended that streak of blind logic hunting.

They lay on the couch, rather half sitting and snuggling together at one end wrapped in a thick blanket. The music was soft…she was soft….Astro was nervously fidgeting.

"Are you sure this is ok? I mean if your parents walk through the door…I'm kinda….dead." He looked into her soft doeish eyes for a moment and smirked. "Oh what the heck, where's my noose?"

Nicky lay on top, her fingers tracing softly over Astro's face and lips as she hummed to the music…"So…what are you going to do when you finish school? My Parents want me to stop at High School."

Astro thought for a moment. "I dunno. I would like to go to college just to see what that's like but Doctor O'Shay wants me to work full time at the Ministry of Science at some point, after all they have to recoup some of the cost Doctor Tenma expended in making me."

Nicky smiled lightly…"Could I fit in some place?"

Astro fidgeted. "Uh….it's possible…but shouldn't it be a while still, I mean…a few years more?"

Nicky doe-ishly eyed Astro before kissing him around his neck…he swore he was going to over-heat and thought of throwing her back…

"Oh the heck with it…who needs a few years." He said lightly as they rolled around on the couch…

"Beeeep!...beeeeep!...beeep!" Suddenly the call alert chimed through Astro's head. "Oh come on! Not now!" He said gruffly as he sat up. "Always at the wrong time…do you mind?"

"Click…." "Astro here."

Nicky sat making curses and strangle hands, showing her sudden impending rage if Astro dared to take a call if she thought it would be saving a cat from a tree. "Tell em you're on vacation!" She snorted.


End file.
